OEA/Ser.L/V/II.79.rev.1 ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION REPORT
N°
19/90 CASE
9842 PERU BACKGROUND: 1. On November 20, 1986, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights received the following complaint:
Juan Rivera Alarcon, Victor Rojas, and three other people were detained
by members of the Peruvian army in Vilcashuaman, Department of Ayacucho, on
November 9, 1986, the day on which municipal elections were being held
throughout the country. According
to reports, many people witnessed the detention of Juan Rivera, 35 years old,
farmer, married, with six children; Victor Mendivil Rojas, 51 years old, farmer,
married, with two children; Benigno Mendivil Rojas, married, with three
children; Ercilio Rojas Ochoa, 40 years old, farmer, married, with five
children; and Moisés Echaccaya Gamboa, with two children.
It is believed that they were taken to the Vilcashuaman barracks, but
authorities say that the detention did not occur.
2.
In a note of December 10, 1986, the Commission transmitted the pertinent
parts of the complaint to the Government of the Republic of Peru, with a request
for any relevant information, but failed to receive a reply within the statutory
period.
3.
The request for information was reiterated through notes sent to the
Government on January 11, 1988, June 7, 1988, February 17, 1989, and September
7, 1989, which referred to the possibility of applying Article 42 of the
Regulations of the Commission. No
reply was received to those notes either. CONSIDERING:
1.
That in resolution AG/RES. 666 (XIII-O/83) the General Assembly
declared that "the practice of forced disappearance of persons in the
Americas is an affront to the conscience of the hemisphere and constitutes a
crime against humanity."
2.
That the period established in Article 34, paragraph 5, of the
Regulations of the Commission has elapsed without the Government of Peru having
responded to the request for information made by the IACHR in the notes referred
to in the background section of this report, so that it may be presumed that
there are not any remedies under domestic jurisdiction to be exhausted (Article
46 of the American Convention), in light of the adversarial procedure
established in that Convention.
3.
That Article 42 of the Regulations of the Commission reads:
Article 42
The facts reported in the petition whose pertinent parts have been
transmitted to the government of the State in reference if, during the maximum
period set by the Commission under the provisions of Article 34, paragraph 5,
the government has not provided the pertinent information, as long as other
evidence does not lead to a different conclusion. 4. That Article 1, paragraph 1, of the American Convention on Human Rights reads:
Article 1. Obligation to
Respect Rights
1. The States Parties to
this Convention undertake to respect the rights and freedoms recognized herein
and to ensure to all persons subject to their jurisdiction the free and full
exercise of those rights and freedoms, without any discrimination for reasons of
race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, economic status, birth, or any other social condition.
5.
That the Republic of Peru is a State Party to the American Convention on
Human Rights and has ratified the binding jurisdiction of the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Therefore, in view of the related background and the considerations as
well as of the fact that the Commission does not have any other evidence that
would lead it to a different conclusion, based on Article 42 of its Regulations,
THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLVES:
1.
To presume to be true the facts denounced in the communication of
November 20, 1986, on the arbitrary detention by Peruvian government agents and
the subsequent disappearance of Juan Rivera Alarcon, Victor Mendivil Rojas,
Ercilio Rojas Ochoa, Moises Echaccaya Gamboa, and Benigno Mendivil Rojas, in
Vilcashuaman, Department of Ayacucho, on November 9, 1986.
2.
To declare that that act constitutes a serious violation by the Peruvian
state of the rights to life, humane treatment, personal liberty and a fair trial
(Articles 4, 5, 7, and 8, respectively, of the American Convention on Human
Rights). 3. To recommend to the Government of Peru that it conduct the most exhaustive investigation possible of the acts denounced in order to identify those who are directly or indirectly responsible so that they may receive the corresponding legal penalties and that it inform the Commission of its decision and the measures taken, within a maximum period of 60 days.
4.
To recommend to the Government of Peru that it adopt the measures
established under national law to indemnify the families of the victims.
5.
To transmit this report to the Government of the Republic of Peru and to
the petitioners.
6.
If, within the period set in operative paragraph 3 of this report, the
Government of Peru has not presented observations, the Commission shall include
this report in its Annual Report to the General Assembly, in accordance with
Article 48 of the Regulations of the Commission. [ Table of Contents | Previous | Next ] |