Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras is a case that was decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) in 1988.[1] It is a seminal case in the realm of international human rights law that is known for its analysis of state responsibility for enforced disappearances.[2] Its reasoning has influenced other international human rights tribunals, including the African Court of Justice and Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.[2]
| Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | Inter-American Court of Human Rights |
| Full case name | Case of Velásquez-Rodríguez v. Honduras |
| Decided | July 26, 1988 |
| Court membership | |
| Judges sitting | Rafael Nieto-Navia, President
Héctor Gros Espiell, Vice President Rodolfo E. Piza E., Judge Thomas Buergenthal, Judge Pedro Nikken, Judge Héctor Fix-Zamudio, Judge Rigoberto Espinal Irías, Judge ad hoc |
| Chief judge | Rafael Nieto-Navia |
Background
editAngel Manfredo Velásquez Rodríguez was a student at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras during the Policarpo Paz García administration. He was involved in student activism against the government. On September 12, 1981, between 4:30 and 5:00 PM, Velásquez Rodríguez was abducted in Tegucigalpa. Eyewitnesses to the abduction said several armed men pushed him into a car with tinted windows and without a license plate.[3]
Velásquez Rodríguez was never seen or heard from again, and the Honduran government denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.[1]
Decision
editIn 1988, the IACHR determined that Honduras was liable for the disappearance of Velásquez Rodríguez. The Court reasoned that the state violated its duties under the American Convention on Human Rights by not conducting an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding Velásquez Rodríguez's disappearance.[4] Honduras fully complied with the order to pay restitution to Velásquez Rodríguez's family, and the case was closed on September 10, 1996.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Case of Velásquez-Rodríguez v. Honduras" (PDF).
- ^ a b Henkin, Louis; Cleveland, Sarah H.; Helfer, Laurence R.; Neuman, Gerald L.; Orentlicher, Diane F. (2009). Human Rights (2nd ed.). New York: ThomsonReuters. pp. 572–656. ISBN 978-1-59941-261-0.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras". Enforced Disappearance Legal Database. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
- ^ Grossman, Claudio (1992-01-01). "Disappearances in Honduras The Need for Direct Victim Representation in Human Rights Litigation". Hastings International and Comparative Law Review.
- ^ "Velásquez Rodríguez Case". Refworld. Retrieved 2024-09-20.