Kenneth Anzualdo Case: A Warning to Peruvian Justice

The recent ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights against the Peruvian State in the case of the forced disappearance of a student in 1993 is welcomed with satisfaction. However, the acquittals of some military personnel involved in such cases are a cause for concern. According to the ruling, "Peru is responsible for the forced disappearance of Mr. Kenneth Ney Anzualdo Castro and violated the rights to personal liberty, personal integrity, life, and recognition of legal personality." The Court also acknowledges that Anzualdo Castro was kidnapped or deprived of his liberty on December 16, 1993, and taken to the basement of the Army Intelligence Service. He was held there for an indeterminate period of time, "his whereabouts remaining unknown to this day." Published on October 22, 2009.