CAT/C/BOL/CO/2
Military jurisdiction
12.
The Committee applauds the Plurinational Constitutional Court’s decision (Decision
No. 2540/2012 of 21 December 2012) to resolve the jurisdictional dispute regarding the
case of Second Lieutenant Grover Beto Poma Guanto by referring that case to a civilian
court. The Committee notes, however, that, in its decision, the Court urged the Plurinational
Legislative Assembly to amend the military penal provisions set forth in Decree-Law No.
13321 of 22 January 1976 so that they would be compliant with the Constitution and with
international human rights treaties under which the State party has an obligation to ensure
that military courts do not have jurisdiction over cases involving human rights violations
(art. 2, paras. 1 and 3, and arts. 12, 13 and 16).
The Committee urges the State party to amend its Military Criminal Code, Code of
Military Criminal Procedure and the Military Justice Organization Act in order to
establish that military courts do not have jurisdiction over cases involving human
rights violations, including acts of torture and ill-treatment committed by members of
the armed forces.
The State party should ensure that the conduct of members of the armed forces who
are suspected of having committed acts of ill-treatment or torture against military
personnel is thoroughly investigated, that persons suspected of committing such acts
are tried in civilian courts and that, if found guilty, they are punished appropriately.
Efforts to combat impunity and to provide redress for past human rights violations
13.
The Committee takes note with interest of the existence of a draft bill concerning the
establishment of a truth and justice commission to investigate human rights violations
committed in Bolivia in the period 1964–1982. It takes note with concern, however, of the
delays and scant progress made in investigating serious human rights violations committed
during the period when the country was under military rule (1964–1982) and in prosecuting
the persons responsible for them. The Committee is also concerned that, despite the
establishment of the Inter-Agency Council of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances in 2003,
the whereabouts of many of the people who disappeared between 1980 and 1982 remain
unknown. It is concerned, in particular, about the armed forces’ refusal to declassify
records that could help investigators to determine the fate and discover the whereabouts of
these people (arts. 1, 4, 12, 13 and 16).
The State party should:
(a)
Ensure that sufficient resources are made available to permit impartial,
effective investigations to be conducted and to bring suspects to trial;
(b)
Take steps to complete the work of exhuming and identifying the
remains of disappeared persons;
(c)
Adopt the necessary measures to provide access to all civilian and
military files that may contain documentation relevant to ongoing investigations and
documentation that could be of assistance in determining the fate and discovering the
whereabouts of disappeared persons.
14.
The Committee is concerned by the fact that such a large percentage of the
applications for redress submitted in connection with acts of torture committed between
1964 and 1982 have been turned down. The State party has indicated that only 558 of the
3,306 applications it received have been accepted for processing. The Committee takes note
with concern of reports from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which indicate that
administrative hurdles exist that make it difficult for victims to secure sufficient, effective
and full redress. The Committee also observes that the 488 payments made thus far
correspond to just 20 per cent of the total amount of compensation anticipated and that the
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