Reynaldo Bignone “Plan Sistemático” / Franco Rubén O. et al.
This case summary is being revised and will be updated soon
Court |
Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No. 6 of Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Case number |
1351 |
Decision title |
Verdict |
Decision date |
17 September 2012 |
Parties |
- Rubén Oscar Franco
- Reynaldo Benito Antonio Bignone
- Antonio Vañek
- Santiago Omar Riveros
- Jorge Eduardo Acosta
|
Other names |
|
Categories |
Crimes against humanity |
Keywords |
crimes against humanity, torture, dictatorship, Dirty War, disappearances, Murder |
Links |
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back to topSummary
Reynaldo Bignone, born in 1928, was the de facto president of Argentina from 1982 to 1983 and the last dictator to hold power in the country. As such, he was appointed by the military junta and sought to impose amnesty laws for perpetrators of gross human rights violations before transferring power to the democratically elected Raul Alfonsin. Nevertheless, in 2005 the Argentinean Supreme Court overturned these amnesties and opened the way for prosecutions of those involved in the country’s 1976-1983 “Dirty War”. Since then, Reynaldo Bignone was charged and convicted of crimes against humanity in several trials on the basis of his involvement in the Dirty War.
In the current case, Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No. 6 of Buenos Aires sentenced Bignone to 15 years' imprisonment for crimes against humanity for the implementation of a systematic plan to abduct and appropriate 31 children between 1976 and 1983. Other accused were sentenced to terms ranging from 5 to 50 years in prison.
back to topProcedural history
Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No. 6, Verdict, 5 July 2012.
back to topLegally relevant facts
Reynaldo Bignone, born in 1928, was the de facto president of Argentina from 1982 to 1983 and the last dictator to hold power in the country. As Argentina’s last dictator, Mr Bignone was appointed by the military junta and sought to impose amnesty laws for perpetrators of gross human rights violations before transferring power to the democratically elected Raul Alfonsin. Nevertheless, the amnesties were overturned in the Julio Héctor Simón case by the Argentinean Supreme Court, opening the way for prosecutions of those involved in the country’s 1976-1983 “Dirty War.” Since then Reynaldo Bignone was charged and convicted of crimes against humanity in several trials on the basis of his involvement in the Dirty War.
This trial concerned the “plan sistemático”, the systematic plan of the Argentinean military junta to abduct the children born to detained or disappeared mothers. Several cases were filed, among them one by the grandmothers of the disappeared children, asking for criminal prosecution of among others Reynaldo Bignone for the crimes of child abduction, murder and illegal deprivation of liberty of children.
back to topCourt's holding and analysis
The Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No. 6 of Buenos Aires sentenced Mr Bignone to 15 years of imprisonment for crimes against humanity for the implementation of a systematic plan to abduct and appropriate 31 children between 1976 and 1983. Other accused were sentenced to terms ranging from 5 to 50 years in prison.
back to topInstruments cited
See also the four other cases against Bignone:
back to topAdditional materials