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Castillo Petruzzi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2017

Jeanine Bucherer
Jeanine Bucherer*
Affiliation:
University of Düsseldorf
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Type
International Decisions
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 95 , Issue 1 , January 2001 , pp. 171 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 2001

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References

1 Castillo Petruzzi, Meritsjudgment, Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. C) No. 52 (1999) <http://corteidh-oea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAC/SERIE_C/C_52_ESP.HTM> [hereinafterJudgment]. The decisions (Resoluciones y Sentencias, serie C) of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Court) are available online at <http://corteidhoea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAC/INDICES/SERIE_C.HTM>. All translations in this report are by the author.

2 American Convention on Human Rights, opened for signature~No\. 22,1969,1144 UNTS 123. The Convention and all of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Commission) materials cited in this case report are obtainable at the Commission's Web site, <http://www.cidh.oas.org>.

3 Consejo Supremo de Justicia Militar, Resolucion de Sala Plena, Nov. 6, 1999, NORMAS LEGALES 174138-41 (Dec. 6, 1999).

4 Resolucion Legislativa No. 27152, NORMAS LEGALES, special issue of Aug. 7,1999. In two applications directed against Peru that were pending at the time of the delivery of its declaration of withdrawal to the secretary general of the Organization of American States, die Court decided that the Peruvian declaration had no immediate effect. S??IvcherBronstein,Jurisdiction, Judgment, Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. C) No. 54, para. 54 (1999) <http://corteidhoea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAC/SERIE_C/C_54_ESP.HTM>; Constitutional Tribunal, Jurisdictionjudgment, Inter- Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. C) No. 55, para. 53 (1999) <http://corteidh-oea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAC/SERIE_C/C_55_ESP.HTM>; Karen C. Sokol, Case Report: Ivcher Bronstein & Constitutional Tribunal, 95 AJIL 178 (2001).

5 Jaime Francisco Castillo-Petruzzi, Maria Conception Pincheira-Saez, Lautaro Enrique Mellado-Saavedra, and Alejandro Astorga-Valdez.

6 See Decreto Ley (Decree Law) No. 25659, Arts. 1, 2 (Aug. 12, 1992) <http://www.cajpe.org.pe/rij/bases/legisla/peru/pen29.htm>, reprinted in GONZALO GOMEZ MENDOZA, CODIGO DEjUSTICIA MILITAR 571 [hereinafter CODIGO DEjUSTICIA MILITAR] . All Peruvian laws (as images of physical documents) are obtainable from <http://www.leyes.congreso.gob.pe>.

Articulo 1.- Constituye Delito de Traicion a la Patria, la comision de los actos previstos en el articulo 2? del Decreto Ley N? 25475, cuando se emplean las modalidades siguientes:

a) Utilization de coches bombas o similares, que causen la muetre de personas o lesionen su integidad fisica o su salud mental o danen la propiedad publica o privada, o cuando de cualquier otra manera se pueda generar grave peligro para la poblacion;

b) Almaceniniento o posesion ilegal de materiales explosivos, nitrados de amonio o los elementos que sirvan para la elaboration de este producto o proporcionar voluntariamente insumos o elementos utilizables en la fabrication de explosivos, para su empleo en los actos previstos en el inciso anterior. Articulo 2.- Incurre en Delito de Traicion a la Patria:

a) El que pertenece al grupo dirigencial de una organizacion terrorista, sea en calidad de lider, cabecilla, jefe u otro equivalente;

b) El que integra grupos armados, bandas, pelotones de aniquilamiento o similares de una organizacion terrorista, encargados de la elimination fisica de personas;

c) El que suministra, proporciona, divulga informes, datos, planes, proyectos y demas documentation o facilita el ingreso de terroristas en edificaciones y locales a su cargo o custodia, para favorecer el resultado danoso previsto en los incisos a) y b) del articulo anterior. The crime of "terrorism" is defined in Article 2 of Decreto Ley No. 25475 (May 5, 1992) <http://www.cajpe.org.pe/rij/bases/legisla/peru/pen28.htm>, to which Article 1 of Decreto Ley No. 25659 (above) refers.

Articulo 2.- Description tipica del delito.

El que provoca, crea o mantiene un estado de zozobra, alarma o temor en la poblacion o en un sector de ella, realiza actos contra la vida, el cuerpo, la salud, la libertad y seguridad personates o contra el patrimonio, contra la seguridad de los edificios piiblicos, vias o medios de comunicacion o de transporte de cualquier indole, torres de energia o transmision, instalaciones motrices o cualquier otro bien o servicio, empleando armamientos, materias o artefactos explosivos o cualquier otro medio capaz de causar estragos o grave pertubacion de la tranquilidad publica o afectar las relaciones internacionales o la seguridad de la sociedad y del Estado, sera reprimido con pena privativa de libertad no menor de veinte afios.

An English translation of diis article is available online at <http://www.cidh.org/countryrep/peru2000en/chapter2a.htm>, at para. 79.

7 See Decreto Ley No. 25744, Art 1 (Sept 21,1992), reprinted in CODIGO DEjUSTICIA MnJTAR, supra note 6, at 577.

8 See id., Art. 2(a), reprinted in CODIGO DEjUSTICIA MILITAR, supra note 6, at 578.

9 The applicant Castillo Petruzzi was held incommunicado for 36 days, the other three for 37 days. SeeJudgment, mpranote 1, para. 192.

10 See Decreto Ley No. 25475, supra note 6, Art. 12(f).

11 Sec Decreto Ley No. 25744, supra note 7, Art. 2(c).

12 Under Decreto Ley No. 25659, supra note 6, writs of habeas corpus were not admissible. Decreto Ley No. 26248 of November 12,1993, modified Decreto Ley No. 25659 on this point, but Article 6(4) of the new law states that "writs of habeas corpus based on the same facts or grounds, the subject of a proceeding that is under way, or a proceeding that is already resolved, are not admissible."

13 The UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers describes trials before jueces sin rostro (faceless judges) as follows:

The main characteristic of the proceedings before "faceless" courts, both civilian and military, is secrecy. Judges and prosecutors are identified by codes. When handling treason cases, Supreme Court judges also identify themselves by secret codes. The judges are at all times invisible to the defendants and their counsel, and trial proceedings are conducted in private. Hearings take place in specially equipped courtrooms inside high-security prisons or, in treason cases, at military bases. The courtrooms are small, with a single door and a large one-way mirror along one wall. In an adjoining room on the other side of the mirror, the judges, prosecutor and court secretaries have their seats. They communicate with the accused persons and their counsel through voice-distorting microphones. Since the sound system does not always function properly, it is sometimes impossible for the defendant or his or her counsel to understand what is being said, which has in many cases seriously obstructed the proceedings or affected the defence. Commission on Human Rights, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Mr. Param Cumaraswamy, Addendum: Report on the Mission to Peru, atll(B), para. 4 (Feb. 19, 1998), UN Doc. E/CN.4/ 1998/39/Add. 1, obtainable from <http://www.unhchr.ch> [hereinafter Report of the Special Rapporteur].

14 SecDecreto Ley No. 25708, Art. 1 (Feb. 9,1992), reprinted mCODIGO DEjUSTICIA MILITAR, supra note 6, at 575.

15 See Decreto Ley No. 25744, supra note 7, Art. 2(b).

16 Alejandro Astorga-Valdez.

17 The prison regime for persons convicted of treason against the fatherland is regulated by Article 3(b) of Decreto Ley No. 25744, supra note 7.

18 Castillo Petruzzi, Preliminary Objections, Judgment, Inter-Am. Ct.H.R. (ser.C) No. 41 (1998) <http://corteidhoea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBUCAC/SERIE_C/C_41_ESP.HTM>, reprinted in 20 HUM. RTS. L.J. 176 (1999).

19 Article 20 ("Right to Nationality") provides: "(1) Every person has the right to a nationality; (2) Every person has the right to the nationality of the state in whose territory he was born if he does not have the right to any other nationality; and (3) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality or of the right to change it." For the Court's discussion of Article 20, see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 96-103.

20 See Judgment, supra note 1, para. 100.

21 See supra note 6.

22 Sec Judgment, supra note 1, para. 102.

23 Article 9 ("Freedom from Ex Post Facto Laws") provides:

No one shall be convicted of any act or omission that did not constitute a criminal offense, under the applicable law, at the time it was committed. A heavier penalty shall not be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the criminal offense was committed. If subsequent to the commission of the offense the law provides for the imposition of a lighter punishment, the guilty person shall benefit therefrom. For the Court's discussion of Article 9, see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 113-22.

24 Loayza Tamayo, Merits, Judgment, Inter-Am. Ct H.R. (ser. C) No. 33 (1997) <http://corteidh-oea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAC/SERIE_C/C_33_ESP.HTM> (in Spanish) or <http://corteidh-oea.nu.or.cr/ci/PUBLICAT/SERIES_C/C_33_ENG.HTM> (in English), where the Court discussed the issue not under Article 9, which had not been invoked, but under Article 8(4).

25 For the Court's discussion of Article 7(5), see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 104-12.

26 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(1), see id., paras. 124-34.

27 In the original Spanish version, the Court cites the Commission in the following terms: " . . . la figura del juez natural 'impone la inderogabilidad y la indisponibilidad de las competencias; esto es, la reserva absolta de ley y la no alterabilidad discrecional de las competenciasjudiciales'." Id., para. 125(f).

28 The Commission's country report on the situation of human rights in Peru gives an English translation of the passage of thejudgment referred to here. The citation translates the Spanish term juez naturalas tribunal previously established by law. Int.-Am. C.H.R., Second Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Peru, ch. 2, para. 156, OEA/Ser.L/V/II.106, Doc. 59 rev. (2000) <http://www.cidh.oas.org/countryrep/Peru2000en>. The present case report does not adhere to the latter terminology given that, in the original Spanish version, die Court itself diverged from the express wording of Article 8(1).

29 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(2)(h), see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 157-62.Judge de Roux Rengifo, while agreeing that the right to appeal had been violated, felt that the majority should have focused solely on whether the necessary review of the conviction had taken place. See id., Sep. Op. de Roux Rengifo, J.

30 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(2)(b)-(c), see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 135-42.

31 Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, para. 8, UN Doc. A/CONF.144/28/Rev. 1, at 118 (1990), reprinted in CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, 1 HUMAN RIGHTS: A COMPILATION O F INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS pt. 1, 324, 326 (1994), UN Doc. ST/HR/l/Rev.5 (Vol. I), UN Sales No. E.94.XIV.1 (Vol.1) (1994) [hereinafter HUMAN RIGHTS COMPILATION]. The document is available online at <http://wwwl.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/ainsdsl.htm>.

32 In the original Spanish version, the Court used the words la presencia y actuacion de los defensores fueron meramente formales." Judgment, supra note 1, para. 141.

33 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(2) (f), see id, paras. 150-56

34 In this context the Court cites Barbera v. Spain, 146 Eur. Ct. H.R. (ser. A) at para. 78 (1988), andBonisch v. Austria, 92 Eur. Ct. H.R. (ser. A) at para. 32 (1985). See Judgment, supranote 1, n.95.

35 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(3), see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 163-68.

36 For the Court's discussion of Article 8(5), see id., paras. 169-73.

37 For the Court's discussion of Articles 7(6) and 25, see id., paras. 174-88.

38 Seejudicial Guarantees in States of Emergency (Arts. 27.2, 25 and 8 of the American Convention on Human Rights), Inter-Am. Ct. H.R, Advisory Opinion OC-9/87, paras. 24-26 (1987). The advisory opinions (seriesA) of the Court are available online at <http://corteidh-oea.nu.or.cr/PUBLICAT/INDICES/SERIES_A.HTM>.

39 For the Court's discussion of Article 63, see Judgment, supra note 1, paras. 214-25.

40 See Case No. C-358/97, Judgment (Corte Constitucional de Colombia, Aug. 5, 1997).

41 To name just a few: Weinberger Weisz v. Uruguay, Comm. No. 28/1978 (Oct. 29, 1980), UN Doc. CCPR/ C/OP/1, at 57 (1984); Touron v. Uruguay, Comm. No. 32/1978 (Mar. 31,1981), UN Doc. CCPR/C/OP/1, at 61 (1984); Pietraroia v. Uruguay, Comm. No. 44/1979 (Mar. 27,1981), UN Doc. CCPR/C/OP/1, at 65 (1984); Fals Borda v. Colombia, Comm. No. R.ll/46 (Feb. 6,1979), UN Doc. Supp. No. 40 (A/37/40), at 193 (1982). In the last case, the question of competence had explicitly been raised. All of these cases are available online at<http://wwwl.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/undocs.htm>.

42 UN Human Rights Committee, General Comment 13, Article 14 (Twenty-first session, 1984), Compilation of General Comments and General Recommendations Adopted by Human Rights Treaty Bodies, UN Doc. HRt\GEN\l\Rev.l,at 14 (1994) <http://wwwl.umn.edu/humanrts/gencomm/hrcoml3.htm> [hereinafterGeneral Comment 13, Article 14], reprinted in MANFRED NOWAK, U.N. COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS: CCPR COMMENTARY857 (1993).

43 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Dec. 16, 1966, 999 UNTS 171.

44 General Comment 13, Article 14, supra note 42, para. 4.

45 See, for example, the International Law Association's Paris Minimum Standards of Human Rights Norms in a State of Emergency, reprinted in 79 AJIL1072,1073-81 (1985). Article 16(4) provides, in part: "Civil courts shall have and retain jurisdiction over all trials of civilians for security and related offences; initiation of any such proceedings before or their transfer to a military court or tribunal shall be prohibited."

46 See Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, UN Doc. A/CONF.121/22/Rev.l, at 59 (1985) <http://wwwl.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/i5bpij.htm>, a declaration adopted at the 1985 Milan conference and later approved by the UN General Assembly, GARes. 40/32 (Nov. 29,1985) and 40/146 (Dec. 13,1985), reprinted in HUMAN RIGHTS COMPILATION, supra note 31, at 386. Article 5 provides: "Everyone shall have the right to be tried by ordinary courts or tribunals using established legal procedures. Tribunals that do not use the duly established procedures of the legal process shall not be created to displace the jurisdiction belonging to the ordinary courts or judicial tribunals."

47 Report of the Special Rapporteur, supra note 13, at 11(B), para. 5; w U N Commission on Human Rights, Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, at III(C), para. 79, UN Doc. E/CN.4/1999/63 (1998), obtainable from <http://www.unhchr.ch>.

48 Inter-Am.C.H.R., Annual Report 1993, ch. TV, Peru, sec. IV, OEA/Ser. L/V/II.85, Doc. 9 rev. (1994).

49 Inter-Am.C.H.R.,AnnualReport 1998,ch.VII,sec. 1,OEA/Ser.L/V/II.102,Doc.6rev. (1999);Inter-Am.C.H.R., Second Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Peru, ch. 2, para. 155 & n.94, OEA/Ser.L/V/II.106, Doc. 59 rev. (2000); Inter-Am. C.H.R, Third Report of die Human Rights Situation in Columbia, ch. 5., para. 31, OEA/Ser.L/ V/II.102, Doc. 9 rev. 1 (1999) <http://www.cidh.oas.org/countryrep/Colom99en/table%20of%20contents.htm>.