before an order of arraigo. Consequently, Article 133 bis of the Federal Code of 1999 and Article 12
of the Federal Law of 1996, in force when the acts of this case occurred, violated the rights to a
hearing and to be brought before a judge or other official authorized by law to exercise judicial
functions (Articles 8(1) and 7(5)).
b. On the right of persons subject to arraigo not to be compelled to be a witness against
themselves
131. The Court recalls that Article 8(2)(g) of the Convention sets out the rights not to be compelled
to be a witness against oneself and not to plead guilty. The exercise of this right presupposes that the
accused is able to freely decide whether to make a statement or, in other words, that there is no
coercion that would impede the accused from freely making that determination. A corollary is that the
person investigated has the right to remain silent and abstain from making any statement in an
investigation or criminal proceeding in which he has been named as a probable participant or suspect
in the commission of an unlawful act. In addition, as the Court has pointed out, since the
administration of criminal justice must commence with an analysis of the lawfully obtained evidence,
a means of investigation that entails the use of coercion to bend the will of the accused would no
longer to be valid, which would be an instrumentalization of the person and a violation, per se, of such
right, regardless of the grade of coercion (be it a threat, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or torture) and of the result (in other words, that a confession or information is obtained). 110
132. This right not to be compelled to be a witness against oneself or to remain silent is also found
in the constitutions of various countries of the region, including that of Mexico, 111 in the case law of
the high courts of the countries of the region, 112 and in international human rights instruments, such
as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Art. 14(1)(g). The European Court of
Human Rights has held that while the right of non-incrimination is specifically contemplated in the
European Convention on Human Rights, the right to remain silent and the right not to incriminate
oneself are generally acknowledged international standards that are at the core of the idea of a fair
proceeding by virtue of Article 6 of that Convention. 113 The UN Committee on Human Rights has
indicated that this right “must be understood in terms of the absence of any direct or indirect physical
or psychological pressure from the investigating authorities on the accused with a view to obtaining
a confession of guilt.” 114
110
Cf. Case of Pollo Rivera et al. v. Peru. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of October 21, 2016. Series C No. 319,
para. 176.
Cf. Antigua and Barbuda, Article 15(7); Argentina, Article 18; Bahamas, Article 20(7); Barbados, Article 18(7); Belize,
Article 6(6); Bolivia, Article 121; Brazil, Article 5(LXIII); Canada, Constitutional Act of 1982, Article 11(c); Chile, Article 19(7)(f);
Colombia, Article 33; Costa Rica, Article 36; Cuba, Article 95(e); Dominica, Article 8(7); Dominican Republic, Article 69(6);
Ecuador, Article 77(7) (b) and (c); El Salvador, Article 12; Grenada, Article 8(7); Guatemala, Article 8; Guyana, Article 144(7);
Haiti, Article 46; Honduras, Article 88; Jamaica, Article 16(6); Mexico, Article 20(B)(II); Nicaragua, Article 34(7); Panama,
Article 25; Paraguay, Article 18; Saint Kitts and Neves, Article 10(7); Saint Lucía, Article 8(7); Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Article 8(7); Trinidad and Tobago, Article 5(2)(d); United States, Fifth Amendment; Uruguay, Article 20 and Venezuela, Article
49.(5).
111
112
Cf. Supreme Court of Chile, - Rol: 2560-2019 of April 2, 2019; Constitutional Court of Colombia, Judgment C-102/05
and Judgment C-776 de 2001; Court of Justice of the Federal District and the Territories of Brazil; Constitutional Court of Peru,
The right to remain silent forms part of the right not to be compelled to be a witness against oneself, Judgment 418/2021 EXP.
No. 01198-2019-PHC/TC (March 30, 2021); Supreme Court of Costa Rica, Constitutional Chamber, Resolution Nº 06359–1993;
Supreme Court of Costa Rica, Constitutional Chamber, Resolution No. 12244-2006. Considering paragraph III; Supreme Court
of Costa Rica, Third Chamber, Resolution No. 01301–2004 and Constitutional Chamber, 556-91, of March 20, 1991 and
Supreme Court of Mexico, Review of Amparo 624/2012.
Cf. ECHR. Case of John Murray v. Great Britain, Judgment of February 8, 1996, Application No. 18731/91, para. 45
and Case of Heaney and McGuinness v. Ireland, Application No. 34720/97, para. 40. See, also, Directive (EU) 2016/343 of the
European Parliament and Council, of March 9, 2016, by which they strengthen certain aspects in criminal proceedings regarding
the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at trial.
113
114
United Nations, Human Rights Committee, Communication Nº 330/1988, Berry v. Jamaica, approved on July 4, 1994,
para. 11.7; Communication Nº 1033/2001, Singarasa v. Sri Lanka, approved on July 21, 2004, para. 7.4 and Communication
Nº 912/2000, Deolall v. Guyana, approved on November 1, 2004, para. 5.1. U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/81/D/1033/2001 (2004).
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