A.3. Conclusion on the military disciplinary proceedings
161. Based on the foregoing, regarding the military disciplinary proceedings, the Court
concludes that the State of Peru violated the right of Mr. Rosadio Villavicencio to be assisted by
legal counsel, the right to a hearing, the right to adequate grounds and the right to defend oneself
enshrined in Articles 8(1) and 8(2)(c), 8(2)(d), 8(2)(e) of the Convention, in relation to Article
1(1) thereof. However, the Court considers that the State did not violate the right to presumption
of innocence enshrined in Article 8(2) of the Convention or the right to freedom from ex post facto
laws set forth in Article 9 of that instrument.
B. Ordinary criminal jurisdiction: Alleged violation of the duty to provide grounds,
right to be assisted by legal counsel and right to defend oneself
B.1. Duty to provide grounds
B.1.1 Arguments of the Commission and the parties
162. The Commission claimed that the State corrected the lack of adequate grounds of the
judgment of April 17, 1996, through the order of April 24, 1996. However, it argued that the
judgment of June 19, 1997, that decided on the appeal for annulment and increased the sentence
to more than double that imposed in the first instance lacked adequate grounds, since it only
listed the general criteria that the sentence must be imposed in relation to the personal conditions
of the accused and the manner and circumstances in which the crime was committed, without
making any specific determinations. Therefore, it considered that the State violated Article 8(1)
of the American Convention in relation to Article 1(1) thereof.
163.
The representative agreed with that indicated by the Commission.
164. The State argued that, as recognized by the Commission and the representative, it did not
violate Article 8(1) of the Convention given that it corrected the alleged lack of legal grounds of
the order of April 17, 1996, of the Mixed Chamber of the Superior Court of San Martín. Moreover,
regarding the alleged lack of legal grounds of the judgment of June 19, 1997, which increased the
alleged victim’s sentence from 6 to 15 years, the State claimed that in practice the increase in the
sentence did not have any effect or detriment to the alleged victim because: (i) on March 4, 1999,
two years after that judgment was issued, the alleged victim obtained the penitentiary benefit of
study or work release. Therefore, he was only imprisoned until March 4, 1999, for a total of four
years and six months; (ii) on May 24, 2001, Law 27454 was published in the official newspaper,
which modified the Code of Criminal Procedure and prohibited the Supreme Court from imposing
greater sentences, with retroactive application; moreover, individuals who had been convicted to
longer sentences could request the modification of the sentence; and (iii) in the order of
September 28, 2001, the Mixed Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of San Martín, modified
ex officio the sentence imposed on Mr. Rosadio Villavicencio to 6 years, which, discounting the
time served since September 5, 1994, ended on September 4, 2000. Thus, it requested the Court
to indicate that it did not violate Article 8(1) of the Convention on this count.
B.1.2 Considerations of the Court
165. The controversy at this point is determining whether the State violated the duty to provide
grounds established in Article 8(1) of the Convention in relation to the judgment issued on June
19, 1997, which increased the alleged victim’s sentence from 6 to 15 years, given that the
Commission and the representative claim that this increased sentence lacked legal grounds.
166. The Court calls to mind that “the responsibility of the State under the Convention can only
be demanded internationally after the State has had the opportunity to recognize the violation of
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