subject to this measure in a context of vulnerability faced with an eventual and probable cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment in the absence of a fair trial and, therefore, the application of this
measure presupposes a violation of Article 5(2) of the Convention.
iii. On the substantive assumptions, the purpose and the need for arraigo
a. On the substantive assumptions
139. As was mentioned supra, in applying precautionary measures that restrict liberty, there must
exist sufficient indicia to allow a reasonable assumption that an unlawful act occurred and that the
persons subjected to the process have participated in it. In turn, a suspicion or sufficient indicia that
allow a reasonable assumption that the person subjected to the process participated in the unlawful
activity must be based and expressed on specific facts; in other words, not on mere conjectures nor
on abstract intuitions (supra para. 103).
140. In this case, the Court notes that the decision of January 18, 2006, which ordered arraigo,
contained certain information that linked the persons investigated to an unlawful act. 119
141. Notwithstanding the above, the Court notes that neither of the two norms that govern arraigo
clearly establishes what are the substantive assumptions that must be met in order to apply this type
of restrictive measures to personal liberty and to the presumption of innocence. Article 133 of the
Federal Code of 1999 referred “to a person against whom criminal proceedings are being prepared.”
On the other hand, Article 12 of the Federal Law of 1996 indicated that the judge may order arraigo
“taking into account the nature of the alleged event and the personal circumstances of the accused.”
142. The Court, thus, concludes that the two norms that govern arraigo did not refer to the
substantive assumptions that must be met to apply that type of measure that restricts personal liberty.
Therefore, arraigo was ordered without any substantive assumption that justifies its application and,
therefore, violates the right to the presumption of innocence.
b. On the purpose
143. The Court observes that Article 133 bis establishes a legitimate purpose for applying arraigo
since it requires that “there exists a well-founded risk of evading the action of justice.” However, the
arraigo found in Article 12 of the Federal Law of 1996 established that arraigo could be applied when
it was necessary for the proper processing of the investigation with the object that the accused
participate in clarifying the acts imputed to him. On this point, the Court recalls that its case law
consistently holds that the finality of precautionary measures that deprive or restrict liberty must be
compatible with the Convention (supra para. 96). In turn, pursuant to that treaty, a measure that
restricts liberty only has two purposes: that the accused does not impede the development of the
proceedings nor evade the action of justice (supra para. 106). If not, the rights to personal liberty and
to the presumption of innocence would be infringed (supra para. 142).
144. In view of the above, the requirement in Article 12 does not comply with any of the legitimate
purposes established in the Convention to restrict the liberty of a person who is being tried. In effect,
it is derived from the phrase “so that the person in question may participate in clarifying the events
imputed to him,” which would legitimate the deprivation of liberty for investigative purposes, without
complying with any of the procedural situations related to the risk of evading justice or with impeding
the development of the proceedings, requirements that must also be well-founded. It must be
remembered that the State authorities cannot detain in order to then investigate. During the period
of investigation, those authorities must, with the support of the police and other specialized bodies,
investigate the act denounced and gather the evidence on the basis of which they may present an
accusation before a court against the person investigated.
119
Cf. Order of Arraigo 03/2006, decreed by the Fourteenth District Court for Federal Criminal Proceedings, January 18,
2006 (evidence file, ff. 383 and 386).
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