The facts of the case relate to the detention of Mr. Pollo Rivera in the context of criminal proceedings arising from charges of treason and terrorism that violated various guarantees of due process.

The ruling of the Inter-American Court, following the conclusions of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, framed the facts within the context of a systematic practice of torture from 1983 to 1997 during the so-called anti-subversive conflict.

Additionally, it applied standards on illegal and arbitrary detention, pretrial detention, the right to a fair trial and the use of witnesses with concealed identity, and the criminalization of medical actions, among other issues.