REPORT No. XX/151 CASE 12.879 MERITS VLADIMIR HERZOG AND OTHERS BRAZIL October 28, 2015 I. SUMMARY 1. On July 10, 2009, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the IACHR”) received a petition filed against the Federative Republic of Brazil (hereinafter “the State” or “Brazil”) by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL/Brazil), the Inter-American Foundation for the Defense of Human Rights (FIDDH), the “Santos Días” Center of the Archdiocese of São Paulo and the “No More Torture” Group of São Paulo (hereinafter “the petitioners”) in which they alleged the State’s international responsibility for violating the human rights of journalist Vladimir Herzog (hereinafter “the journalist” or “Herzog”) and his next of kin. 2. The petitioners alleged that the State was internationally responsible for the arbitrary detention, torture and death of journalist Vladimir Herzog at an army facility on October 25, 1975, and for the ongoing impunity for these acts because of an amnesty law enacted during the Brazilian military dictatorship. They maintained that these constituted violations of articles I, IV, VII, XVIII, XXI, XXII and XXV of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (hereinafter “the American Declaration”); articles 1, 2, 5, 8, 13 and 25 of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the American Convention”), and articles 1, 6 and 8 of the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture (hereinafter also “the CIPST”). 3. The State pointed out that it had taken a series of measures by which it had acknowledged, at the domestic level, its responsibility for the arbitrary detention, torture and death of journalist Vladimir Herzog by agents of the State. The State asked that when it evaluated the merits of the instant case, the Commission consider the measures the State had taken thus far. 4. On November 8, 2012, the IACHR approved Report No. 80/12 in which it declared the petition admissible with respect to the alleged violation of the rights protected in articles I (right to life, liberty and personal security), IV (right to freedom of investigation, opinion, expression and dissemination), XVIII (right to a fair trial), and XXV (right of protection from arbitrary arrest) of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; the rights protected in articles 5.1 (right to have one’s personal integrity respected), 8.1 (judicial guarantees) and 25 (right to judicial protection) of the American Convention, in conjunction with the general obligations established in articles 1.1 and 2 thereof; and articles 1, 6 and 8 of the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture. 5. After examining the merits of the case, the Commission concluded that the State is responsible for violation of the rights protected in articles I, IV, VII, XVIII, XXII and XXV of the American Declaration and of the rights protected in articles 5.1, 8.1 and 25.1 of the American Convention, in conjunction with articles 1.1 and 2 thereof. It further concluded that the State is responsible for violation of articles 1, 6 and 8 of the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture. II. PROCEEDINGS SUBSEQUENT TO THE ADMISSIBILITY REPORT 6. The Commission notified the parties of the Admissibility Report on November 30, 2012; it gave the petitioners three months in which to submit any additional observations they might have on the merits of the petition, and placed itself at the disposal of the parties to facilitate a friendly settlement process. 1 Commissioner Paulo Vannuchi, a Brazilian national, did not participate in the deliberation or decision of this case, as provided in Article 17.2.a of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure. 1