Chile: Supreme Court agrees to televise hearing in Vega González case before IACHR

Martin Bernetti / AFP

Santiago, Chile, 23 January 2023. More than 40 years after the end of the dictatorship in Chile, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) judges the Chilean State in a case about the application of sentence reduction measures of perpetrators of crimes against humanity for more than 40 victims. Thanks to the efforts of the lawyers in the case, this historic moment will be broadcasted on the Chilean judiciary television.

The Chilean Supreme Court agreed to broadcast the public hearing to be held before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) in San José, Costa Rica on 1 February 2023. This decision was taken in response to a request submitted by lawyers Karinna Fernández Neira, Magdalena Garcés Fuentes and Boris Paredes Bustos, who have accompanied the case together with Jimena Reyes of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in the case Vega González y otros. Vs. Chile.

A historic moment for the fight against impunity on the American continent

The case of Vega González y otros. Vs. Chile concerns the alleged international responsibility of the Chilean State for the application of the "gradual prescription" in the context of criminal proceedings relating to crimes against humanity perpetrated against more than 40 victims during the Chilean dictatorship that took place in the 1970s and 1980s. Under the "gradual prescription", provided for in the Chilean Penal Code, the Supreme Court halved the sentences of perpetrators who had been convicted of crimes against humanity.

"The case is important in the fight against impunity in the region, as the victims denounce that the appropriate punishment was not applied to perpetrators of crimes against humanity."

Jimena Reyes, FIDH Director for the Americas.

"FIDH appreciates the decision of the Chilean Supreme Court to broadcast the public hearing, which demonstrates recognition and respect by the national judiciary of the decisions issued by the Inter-American system," said Jimena Reyes.

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