Bleier v. Uruguay
Key Judgment
Legal Relevance
Keywords: Interim/Urgent Measures | Evidence | Duty to Investigate | Burden of Proof
Themes: Persons and Groups Affected | Justice and Truth
The Committee found that there are serious reasons to believe that a breach of the right to life occurred. Such finding was based on the substantial witness testimony who reported that the victim was subjected to severe torture and cruel treatment during detention. The Committee considered allegations as substantiated in the absence of satisfactory evidence and explanations to the contrary submitted by the state party.
Judgment Date
March 29, 1982
Country
Uruguay
Judicial Body
Human Rights Committee
Articles violated
Article 6 [ICCPR], Article 7 [ICCPR], Article 9 [ICCPR], Article 10(1) [ICCPR]
Articles not violated / not dealt with
Article 2 [ICCPR], Article 3 [ICCPR], Article 12(2) [ICCPR], Article 14 [ICCPR], Article 15 [ICCPR], Article 17 [ICCPR], Article 18 [ICCPR], Article 19 [ICCPR], Article 25 [ICCPR], Article 26 [ICCPR]
Facts of the Case
Mr. Eduardo Bleier was arrested and detained unlawfully by the Uruguayan authorities in October 1975. His detention was unacknowledged by the authorities, although his name appeared on a list of prisoners read out once a week at an army unit in Montevideo where his family delivered clothing for him and received his dirty clothing until the summer of 1976. Testimonies of other prisoners who saw him in Uruguayan detention centres confirmed that Mr. Bleier was subjected to particularly severe torture while in detention because he was Jewish.