The facts of the petition refer to illegal and arbitrary arrest of Luis Antonio Galindo Cárdenas on October 16, 1994 and who at the time was Provisional Member of the Superior Court of Huanuco. The arrest took place at the military barracks of Yanac, where he remained for at least 30 days and then was brought to trial under the Repentance Law.

The Inter-American Court framed its analysis within the context of the systematic human rights violations that were committed by state agents (ordered by military and police officers) from the early 1980s until the end of 2000.

The Inter-American Court established standards related to the deprivation of liberty of a person and his/her detention conditions.