For the Rule of L a w THE REVIEW INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD Argentina 1 Guatemala 8 Chile 2 Philippines 13 COMMENTARIES The U N Commission on Human Rights and the N ew Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 23 ARTICLES The Draft Declaration of the United Nations on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities Bokatola Isse Omanga 33 Towards a N e w System of Supervision for the European Social Charter In eke BoereGjn, Aalt-Willem Heringa, Jeroen G.C. Schokkenbroek 42 BASIC TEXT Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “Protocol of San Salvador" 51 BOOK REVIEW Behind the Disappearances: Argentina's Dirty War Against Human Rights and the United Nations 59 No. 46 June 1991 Editor: Adama Dieng ASSOCIATES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS The International Commission of Jurists is a non-governmental organisation devoted to promoting throughout the world the understanding and observance of the Rule of Law and the legal protection of human rights. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. It has national sections and affiliated legal organisations in over 60 countries. It enjoys consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. 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Human Rights in the World French Court Finds an Argentine Officer Guilty of Serious Violations of Human Rights The Astiz Case On 16 March 1990, Captain Alfredowere, in fact, crimes of the kind classified Astiz of the Argentine Navy was found as "crimes against humanity”, and in­ guilty in absentia by a French Court of cluded illegal arrests, detention in military Justice and sentenced to life imprisonmentunits and clandestine places; keeping de­ for the illegal arrest, torture and kidnap­tainees in cruel and inhuman conditions; ping which had resulted in the involuntary torture, the assassination of prisoners; and and definitive disappearance of two the definitive disappearance of more than French nuns, the Sisters of Charity Alice15,000 people. During the government of Domon and Leonie Renee Duquet. These Dr. Alfonsin, nine Commanders-in-Chief crimes were committed in 1977 in Buenosof the Armed Forces were tried and sen­ Aires during the military dictatorship. tenced to long terms of imprisonment for It was not possible for Captain Astizsome of these crimes. Nevertheless, they to stand trial in his country and in thewere pardoned by the current President, place where he committed these crimesDr, Carlos S. Menem, at the beginning of because of the impunity guaranteed to 1991. military men and the police forces by the Alfredo Astiz is, thus, in a sense the well-known law of “due obedience".1 personification of the illegal actions of the Alfredo Astiz, who held the rank of special groups. Not because he was the captain in the Argentine Navy, was re­ worst criminal, or bore the main responsi­ sponsible during the military governmentbility, but for two other reasons: a) he for what was known as "special tasks” inwas identified as responsible for the ab­ the Naval Intelligence Service. In Argen­ duction, torture and subsequent defini­ tina at that time such tasks meant “dirtytive disappearance of the two French nuns war” operations conducted by the mili­ and also was singled out as directly re­ tary and police not only against their sponsible for the illegal detention, torture countrymen and women, but also against and execution of the 17-year-old Swedish exiles from neighbouring countries. Theygirl, Dagmar Hagelin; and b) he was taken 1. Law No. 23.521 approved in 1987. It exempts members of the military and police forces for responsi­ bility for crimes committed in order to obey, or in the course of obeying, higher orders. prisoner by the British during the Malvi­and under the protection of the 1949 Ge­ nas (Falklands) War, when he surren­neva Conventions. dered as commander of the Argentine Although France has not signed an ex­ troops on South Georgia Island on 25 Apriltradition treaty with Argentina there was 1982 (see ICJReview, No. 28, June 1982,nothing to prevent France from request­ p. 3). When photographs of him signinging his transfer to serve his sentence. In the Act of surrender were published byany case the French Judiciary has issued the international press, some of his vic­an international order for his capture. tims, who had been kidnapped and held But although the sentence passed in in the High School of Naval Engineering, France has had no practical effect to date, a torture centre in Buenos Aires, recog­it non-the-less constitutes a moral and nized him. France and Sweden then asked ethical victory in the struggle against the the British to be allowed to interrogateimpunity granted to violators of human him, but Astiz contested this on the rights. However, Astiz is safe only so long grounds that he was a prisoner of waras he remains on Argentine territory. Chile Official Report on Violations of Human Rights During the Military Regime Shortly after assuming the Presidencythrough by the Chilean people during the of the Republic, Mr. Patricio Aylwin military dictatorship and would exclude established by decree of 25 April 1990,thousands of illegal arrests, cases of forced the National Commission For Truth Andexile and, in general, violations of political, Reconciliation, with the supremely im­ trade union, cultural and social rights. portant mission of reporting on the mostHowever, by decision of the President, it serious violations of human rights com­would include fatal attacks on persons that mitted during the military regime, fromhad been carried out by private individuals 11 September 1973 to 11 March 1990.opposed The to the military regime, provided term ‘serious violations’ was understoodthat they had acted for political reasons. to mean only those that involved the death The latter was an important innova­ of a person, whether by involuntary dis­tion since it is possibly the first time - appearance, execution, assassination orunder a democratic government - that acts death under torture, always provided thatcommitted by individuals who are not in­ the responsibility of the State, of its agentsvested with the authority of the State and or of persons who had acted with its con­whose actions do not have its consent or sent could be shown to be implicated. acquiescence are defined as “violations Consequently, the report would cover no of human rights". Conduct of this kind more than a part of the tragedy lived has traditionally been classified by inter­ governmental organizations such the Or­cial files. No collaboration was forthcom­ ganization of American States and the ing from the Armed Forces or the Security United Nations as a "violation of human Forces, and their unwillingness was par­ rights" when it is committed by govern­ticularly evident when the army and the ment agents or people acting under their "Carabineros” met requests for informa­ aegis, and as a “crime or offence" whention with the statement that all the docu­ it is the work of persons opposing ormentation relating to that period had been fighting against the government. “burnt”. (It should be remembered that Without disregarding the need for General Pinochet is still the commander- profound reflection on this subject, wein-chief of the army). Nor did the army would simply say that the Commissionprovide information concerning the Na­ for Truth and Reconciliation, in faithfully tional Information Centre (CNI), a politi­ adhering to its mandate, but without at­ cal police body which had been directly tempting to establish a theoretical posi­answerable to General Pinochet (then tion, adopted for practical reasons theHead of State), and which for years was broad criterion of considering all situationsthe principal body accused of rights vio­ of that kind as a "violation of human lations and the successor to the infamous rights” based on, in its own words, “theDINA (Direction de Information National).