The facts of the case relate to the violation of guarantees in the criminal proceeding carried out against Mr. Ruiz Fuentes. After his conviction, Mr. Ruiz Fuentes escaped from “El infiernito” prison and was extrajudicially executed in the context of the operation known as “Plan Gavilán”.

In its sentence, the IA Court established Guatemala’s responsibility for violating the right to life after considering that the participation of State agents had been proven. Additionally, it determined that the tortures suffered by Mr. Ruiz Fuentes were a consequence of ill treatments during detention and of his subjugation to the “death row”, the violations to the right to technical defense and to contest the sentence.