45
expressed feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration before the alleged delay and
inefficiency of the State institutions in this regard.163
133. Consequently, the Tribunal considers that the State violated the right to humane
treatment [personal integrity] established in Articles 5(1) and 5(2) of the American
Convention, in relation to Article 1(1) of that instrument, to the detriment of Martha Castro
Mendoza, Tito Ibsen Castro, Rebeca Ibsen Castro, and Raquel Ibsen Castro, for the forced
disappearances to which Rainer Ibsen Cardenas and Jose Luis Ibsen Peña were subjected.
*
* *
134. As to the allegations of the representatives regarding the alleged threats and acts of
harassment suffered by the Ibsen family, as well as the injury that Mr. Tito Ibsen Castro
allegedly sustained during his childhood, the Tribunal reiterates what it has established in
its jurisprudence, to the effect that “the alleged victim, his next of kin, or his
representatives may invoke rights other than those asserted in the Commission’s
application on the basis of the facts presented by the latter.”164 The Court notes that the
alleged facts are not within the factual framework brought before the Tribunal by the InterAmerican Commission and are not supervening, nor do they explain, clarify, or dismiss the
facts that have been mentioned in the application.165 Therefore, the Court shall not rule on
those events.
VII
RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL [JUDICIAL GUARANTEES] AND JUDICIAL PROTECTION
(ARTICLES 8 AND 25 OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION, IN RELATION TO
ARTICLES 1(1) AND 2 THEREOF, AND ARTICLES III AND IV OF THE
CONVENTION ON FORCED DISAPPEARANCE)
135. The Inter-American Commission referred to a variety of facts on which it based its
argument that the right to due process has been allegedly violated in the instant case. In
general, the Commission indicated, that: the criminal proceeding was not conducted within
a reasonable time; “the Ibsen family had the right to count on an investigation into what
happened to the victims by [...] a criminal court, that would reflect suitability guarantees
to conduct of the proceedings"; the State did not initiate an investigation ex officio in the
detention and subsequent disappearance of Messrs. Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luis
163
In relation with the mentioned procedures, Mrs. Rebeca Ibsen Castro mentioned that “she tried through
all possible human means to find out something about the truth and their whereabouths, the criminal proceeding
only delayed the mourning, the uncertainty and the verification of the perpetrators[,] as 'the dictatorship spoiled
individuals', they committed such unimaginable bloodshed, humiliation and tortures [...]." Declaration rendered
before public notary (affidavit) by Mrs. Rebeca Ibsen Castro (case file on the merits, volume III, folio 740). In
the same token, at the public hearing held in the present case (supra para. 8), Mr. Tito Ibsen described the
answer of the state authorities to the procedures undertaken by the Ibsen Family as “world record in justice
denial.” He mentioned that, to his family, the last four decades have been “an endless search of knocking doors
that were always closed, bearing permanent and constant anxiety, [… which have even caused] [the] family unit
to fracture […]”.
164
Cf. Case of the “Five Pensioners” v. Peru. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of February 28,
2003. Series C No. 98. para. 155; Case of the “Las Dos Erres” Massacre v. Guatemala, supra note 7, para. 161,
and Case of Chitay Nech et al. v. Guatemala, supra note 6, para. 33.
165
Cf. Case of Usón Ramírez v. Venezuela. Preliminary Objection, Merits, Reparations and Costs, Judgment
of November 20, 2009. Series C No. 207, para. 102.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents