INTER - AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS COMISION INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS COMISSÃO INTERAMERICANA DE DIREITOS HUMANOS COMMISSION INTERAMÉRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ORGANIZACIÓN DE LOS ESTADOS AMERICANOS WASHINGTON, D.C. 2 0 0 0 6 EEUU June 17, 2011 Re: Case No. 12,651 César Alberto Mendoza et al. (Perpetual imprisonment and confinement of adolescents) Argentina Dear Secretary: I am pleased to address you on behalf of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in order to submit to the jurisdiction of the Honorable Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case No. 12,651, César Alberto Mendoza et al. (Perpetual imprisonment and confinement of adolescents) with regard to the Argentine Republic (hereinafter “the State,” “the Argentine State,” or “Argentina”). This case has to do with the arbitrary imposition of the sentences of perpetual imprisonment on César Alberto Mendoza, Claudio David Núñez, Lucas Matías Mendoza, and Saúl Cristian Roldán Cajal, and of perpetual confinement on Ricardo David Videla Fernández, for acts that occurred when they were still children. These penalties were imposed pursuant to an adolescent justice system that allows for them to be treated like adult offenders. In addition, the respective judicial authorities acted in repudiation of the international standards applicable to juvenile criminal justice, in particular, that deprivation of liberty should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible time, as well as the obligation to ensure a periodic review of the possibility of release from prison. This situation was aggravated by the restrictions on the scope of the review, by means of motions for cassation filed by the victims, which resulted in them not being able to argue fact issues and evidentiary issues by means of those motions, and which consolidated the injustice brought about by the sentencing of the adolescents to perpetual imprisonment and confinement. Mr. Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Secretary Inter-American Court of Human Rights Apartado 6906-1000 San José, Costa Rica Attachments