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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Application to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luis Ibsen Peña Case 12.529 against the Republic of Bolivia DELEGATES: Luz Patricia Mejía, Comissioner Santiago A. Canton, Executive Secretary COUNSEL: Elizabeth Abi-Mershed Juan Pablo Albán Silvia Serrano May 12, 2009 1889 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20006 I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................4 II. PURPOSE OF THE APPLICATION .......................................................................5 III. REPRESENTATION ...........................................................................................6 IV. JURISDICTION OF THE COURT .........................................................................6 V. PROCESSING BEFORE THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION................................7 VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE FACTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VIOLATION OF ARTICLES 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 AND 25 OF THE AMERICAN CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLES I, IV AND XI OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON FORCED DISAPPEARANCE OF PERSONS ..........................................11 VII. CONSIDERATIONS IN FACT............................................................................12 B. Context............................................................................................................13 C. Regarding the Ibsen family .................................................................................15 D. On the disappearance of Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas ....................................................16 E. On the disappearance of José Luís Ibsen Peña ......................................................19 F. On subsequent efforts by the family ....................................................................21 G. On domestic judicial proceedings ........................................................................21 1. Preliminary stage before the Judicial Technical Police.........................................21 2. Preliminary investigation stage ........................................................................21 3. Plenary stage ................................................................................................27 H. On the recusals of judges and prosecutors during the course of criminal proceedings and the resulting disciplinary proceeding ..................................................................33 I. On the search for the remains of Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas.........................................35 J. On the search of the remains of José Luís Ibsen Peña............................................40 K. On actions pursued by relatives by other branches of Government ..........................41 L. Administrative and legislative measures adopted by the bolivian State with respecto to forced disappearances ...........................................................................................43 VIII. CONSIDERATIONS IN LAW.............................................................................44 A. The concept of forced disappearance of persons and its application to the victims....44 B. Violation of the right to personal liberty (articles 7 and 1.1 of the American Convention)..........................................................................................................47 1. With respect to Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas .............................................................48 2. With respect to José Luís Ibsen Peña ...............................................................49 1. With respect to Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luís Ibsen Peña.........................50 2. With respect to the victims’ next of kin............................................................51 D. Right to life (articles 4 and 1.1 of the American Convention)..................................52 1. With respect to Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas .............................................................53 2. With respect to José Luís Ibsen Peña ...............................................................54 E. Right to a juridical personality (articles 3 and 1.1 of the American Convention..........55 F. Right to a fair trial and to judicial protection (articles 8.1 and 25.1 of the American Convention)..........................................................................................................57 G. General obligation to respect and guarantee (article 1.1 of the American Convention)63 H. Articles III and IV of the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons................................................................................................................65 IX. REPARATIONS AND COSTS ...........................................................................66 A. Obligation to repair.....................................................................................66 B. Reparations measures.....................................................................................68 1. Measures of cessation.............................................................................69 2. Measures of satisfaction..........................................................................71 3. Guarantees of non-repetition ....................................................................72 4. Measures of rehabilitation........................................................................72 5. Measures of compensation ......................................................................72 5.1. Pecuniary damages .............................................................................72 2 5.2. Non-pecuniary damages.......................................................................73 C. Beneficiaries ..............................................................................................73 D. Costs and expenses....................................................................................74 X. CONCLUSION................................................................................................74 XI. PETITUM ......................................................................................................74 XII. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.................................................................................75 A. Documentary evidence................................................................................75 B. Testimony.....................................................................................................81 C. Expert witnesses........................................................................................82 XIII. PARTICULARS ON THE ORIGINALCOMPLAINANTS AND THE VICTIMS ...............82 3 APPLICATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS WITH THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AGAINST THE STATE OF BOLIVIA CASE 12.529 RAINER IBSEN CÁRDENAS AND JOSÉ LUÍS IBSEN PEÑA I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Inter-American Court on Human Rights (hereinafter the “Inter-American Commission,” “the Commission,” or “the IACHR”) hereby submits to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights this application in case 12.529, Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luís Ibsen Peña, against the Republic of Bolivia (hereinafter the “Bolivian State,” “the State,” or “Bolivia”) for the forced disappearance of both victims from October 1971 and February 1973 respectively, under the military dictatorship led by Hugo Banzer Suárez, facts followed by impunity, and by the lack of adequate reparation to their next of kin for the injury they sustained and the uncertainty regarding the whereabouts of one of the victims. 2. The Inter-American Commission requests the Court to find the State of Bolivia internationally responsible for failure in compliance with its international obligations and, therefore, in violation of articles 3 (right to juridical personality), 4 (right to life), 5 (right to humane treatment), 7 (right to personal liberty), 8 (right to a fair trial) and 25 (right to judicial protection), in connection with article 1(1) (obligation to respect rights) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the American Convention,” or “the Convention”), as well as articles I and XI of the Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons (hereinafter “the Convention on Forced Disappearance”), with prejudice to Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luís Ibsen Peña. 3. In addition, the Bolivian State is in violation of articles 5 (right to humane treatment), 8 (right to a fair trial) and 25 (right to judicial protection) of the American Convention in connection with article 1(1) of same, with prejudice to the next of kin of Rainer Ibsen Cárdenas and José Luís Ibsen Peña, their siblings and children respectively, Tito Ibsen Castro, Rebeca Ibsen Castro and Raquel Ibsen Castro, as well as their stepmother and spouse, respectively, Ms. Marta Castro Mendoza. 4. Moreover, the State has failed to comply with the obligation provided for by articles III and IV of the Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons in that it did not established the crime of forced disappearance until the year 2006. 5. The instant case has been processed in accordance with the provisions of the American Convention, and is hereby submitted to the Court pursuant to article 34, as amended, of the Rules of Procedure of the Court. A copy of Report 93/08, prepared pursuant to article 50 of the Convention, is annexed to this application, as an appendix.1 6. The Commission considers that the submission of
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