47
c)
the right of the four persons in this case to be presumed innocent was
never violated, since it was not until the final ruling that they were
considered guilty of the crime with which they were charged.
138. The Court observes that Article 717 of the Code of Military Justice, which is
the applicable law in treason cases, provides that once the criminal indictment has
been produced, the case files will be made available to the defense for a period of
twelve hours. In the instant case, the criminal indictment was presented on January
2, 1994, and the attorneys were allowed to view the file on January 6, for a very
brief time. The judgment was delivered the following day. As the applicable law
dictated, the defense was never allowed to cross-examine the DINCOTE agents who
participated in the investigation.
139. In the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, number 8 -under the heading
of “Special safeguards in criminal justice matters”- sets out the proper standards for
an adequate defense in criminal cases. It reads as follows:
All arrested, detained or imprisoned persons shall be provided with adequate
opportunities, time and facilities to be visited by and to communicate and consult with a
lawyer, without delay, interception or censorship and in full confidentiality. Such
consultations may be within sight, but not within the hearing, of law enforcement
officials.93
140. Mr. Astorga Valdez’ conviction illustrates even more vividly what little chance
the accused had of putting on an effective defense. In his case, the accused was
convicted in the court of last instance, based on new evidence that his defense
attorney had not seen and consequently could not rebut.
141. This particular case illustrates how the work of the defense attorneys was
shackled and what little opportunity they had to introduce any evidence for the
defense. In effect, the accused did not have sufficient advance notification, in detail,
of the charges against them; the conditions under which the defense attorneys had
to operate were wholly inadequate for a proper defense, as they did not have access
to the case file until the day before the ruling of first instance was delivered. The
effect was that the presence and participation of the defense attorneys were mere
formalities. Hence, it can hardly be argued that the victims had adequate means of
defense.
142. The Court therefore finds that the State violated Article 8(2)(b) and 8(2)(c) of
the Convention.
***
VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 8(2)(D)
(RIGHT TO LEGAL COUNSEL OF ONE’S CHOOSING)
143.
Article 8(2)(d) of the Convention provides as follows:
93.
United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, relative to the special safeguards in
criminal justice matters, approved by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and
the Treatment of Offenders at its meeting in Havana, Cuba, from 27 August to 7 September 1990.