7
(second, third, fourth, and sixth objections), and the alleged absence of a prior
demand with respect to the alleged violation of Article 2 of the Convention (fifth
objection).
27.
The Court proceeds to consider the preliminary objections pertaining to the
failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
28.
As to this objection, the State has argued that:
a)
domestic remedies had not been exhausted when the complaint was
lodged with the Commission or when the application was filed with the
Court;
b)
when this complaint was lodged and the release of CantoralBenavides was requested, a criminal proceeding was ongoing in Peru before
the Forty-Third Criminal Court of Lima, pursuant to Decree-Law No. 25,475
and its supplementary norms, which was the appropriate forum to
determine his legal status;
c)
Cantoral-Benavides, or another person in his name, could have filed
a motion for review of the October 6, 1995 Judgment, in accordance with
Articles 361 et seq. of the Code of Criminal Procedure; and
d)
the writ of habeas corpus filed on behalf of Cantoral-Benavides on
September 23, 1993, did not exhaust domestic remedies.
29.
As to this objection, the Commission argued that:
a)
when the complaint in this case was lodged, the rules contained in
Article 46(2)(a)(b) of the Convention were applicable, since from the
moment when Cantoral-Benavides was detained there was no appropriate
remedy that he could have interposed, as he was tried pursuant to DecreeLaws No. 25.659 and 26.248, which prohibit the filing of a writ of habeas
corpus on behalf of those tried for the crime of terrorism or treason against
the fatherland;
b)
as the State has the burden of proof, it should identify an appropriate
remedy to protect the legal right that was infringed and the effectiveness of
that remedy. The Commission added that Peru “on raising the objection did
not indicate or identify a specific remedy that the accused should have
exhausted.” Also according to the Commission “it is illogical and legally
anomalous to require of a person that raises the issue of double jeopardy,
as he has in this case, to exhaust the domestic remedies in the proceeding
that said person objects to ab-initio and completely;”
c)
by promulgating "amnesty" laws No. 26.479 and 26.492, Peru
renounced the duty to investigate and sanction those responsible for crimes
such as the concealment of the mistake in the execution of the August 11,
1993 Judgment of acquittal, and the torture and other illegal treatment of
Cantoral-Benavides that violated fundamental rights in the present case;
d)
on October 22, 1993 the petitioners filed an appeal for revision of
the Judgment of September 24, 1993, which was declared inadmissible that
same day by the Supreme Court of Justice (supra 2.f). According to the
Commission this attempt satisfied the prerequisite for resort to the
international forum.