not complied with when depriving a person of their liberty, this deprivation will be unlawful
and contrary to the American Convention, in light of Article 7(2).151
112. The Peruvian Constitution establishes that “no form of restriction of personal liberty is
permitted unless in the cases established by law,” and also that “[n]o one may be detained
unless this is with a reasoned written order of a judge or by the police authorities in flagrante
delicto.”152
113. Meanwhile, article 205 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on police identity checks
establishes:
1. The police, in the context of their functions, without the need for an order by the
prosecutor or the judge, may request anyone to identify themselves and make the
necessary verification on the street or in the place where the request is made, when they
consider this necessary to prevent an offense or to obtain useful information in the
investigation of an offense. The person concerned has the right to require the police to
provide proof of their identity and the unit to which they are attached.
2. The identification shall be carried out in the place where the person is by means of the
corresponding identity document. The person concerned shall be provided with the
necessary facilities to find it and show it. If, at this time, it is verified that the document
is in order, the document shall be returned and the person concerned authorized to
continue on his way.
3. If there are well-founded grounds to consider that the person concerned may be linked
to the perpetration of an offense the police may search his clothing, bags or vehicle. If the
result is positive, a record shall be made of this specific procedure indicating what was
found, informing the Public Prosecution Service immediately.
4. If the person concerned is unable to show the identity document, based on the
seriousness of the act investigated or the sphere of the police operation, this person shall
be taken to the nearest police station exclusively in order to identify him. His fingerprints
may be taken and verification made of whether there is any outstanding warrant against
him. This procedure, calculated from the moment the police intervene, may not exceed
four hours, following which the person shall be allowed to leave. In such cases, the person
concerned may not be placed in a holding cell or a regular cell or held in contact with
detainees, and shall have the right to communicate with a family member or with the
person he indicates. In such cases, the police shall keep a logbook in which they record
the identification procedures conducted, as well as the reasons for the procedures and
their duration.
5. Whenever necessary, for the purposes of a trial or of identification, the accused may be
photographed, even though his fingerprints may have been taken, and even against his
will – in which case the explicit order of the Public Prosecution Service is required – and
his measurements taken as well as similar actions. A record shall be made of this.153
114. This Court notes that the law regulates different situations, from the temporary
restriction of personal liberty involved by a request for identification to the deprivation of
liberty entailed by being taken to a police station. Whether the police request identification or
take someone to the police station depends on compliance with slightly different circumstances
that are interrelated. To request the identification document requires this measure to be
Cf. Case of Chaparro Álvarez and Lapo Íñiguez v. Ecuador. Preliminary objections, merits, reparations and
costs, supra, para. 57, and Case of Montesinos Mejía v. Ecuador. Preliminary objections, merits, reparations and
costs, supra, para. 94.
151
Cf. Constitution of the Republic of Peru, promulgated on December 29, 1993, articles 2.24(b) and 2.24(f)
(evidence file, folio 5256).
152
Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Peru. Legislative Decree No, 957, promulgated on July 22, 2004,
article 205 (evidence file, folios 5538 and 5539).
153
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