IACHR Brings Case Against Peru at Inter-American Court

Earlier this month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) filed an application with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Case No. 11.581, Zulema Tarazona Arrieta et al., Perú.

The underlying case involves the murder of Zulema Tarazona Arrieta and Norma Teresa Pérez Chávez, as well as injuries suffered by Mr. Luis Alberto Bejarano Laura, on August 9, 1994, which resulted from a shooting by a member of the Army against a public transportation vehicle where the victims were travelling. The shooting occurred as members of the Army tried to intercept the vehicle. After the shooting, the security officials left the scene without rendering assistance to the victims and without informing their superior about what happened. The Commission found that these facts constituted an arbitrary deprivation of life of the two victims who were killed, and a violation of the right to humane treatment to the detriment of the person injured.

While the case was pending before the IACHR, the Peruvian judicial authorites issued a decision establishing responsibility and awarding partial compensation to the victims' families. Therefore, the Commission determined that the violation was partially repaired. However, the government of Peru has not granted reparation to the families of the victims as a consequence of the situation of impunity in which the facts were kept for an unreasonable time of 14 years.  Accordingly, the IACHR decided to send the case to the Inter-American Court to obtain fuller compliance with the Merits Report.  For more information, see this IACHR Press Release.

(cgb)