Reynaldo Bignone Campo de Mayo Trials Causa “Muniz Barreto y Gonçalves” / Patti, Luis Abelardo s/recurso de casación

This case summary is being revised and will be updated soon

Court	Federal Chamber of Criminal Appeals (Cámara Federal de Casación Penal), Argentina, Argentina
Case number	2046 and 2208
Decision title	Appeals Decision
Decision date	7 December 2012
Parties	Reynaldo Antonio Benito Bignone Santiago Omar Riveros Martin Rodriguez Luis Abelardo Patti Juan Fernando Meneghini Public Prosecutor
Other names	Campo de Mayo (2)
Categories	Crimes against humanity
Keywords	crimes against humanity, murder, torture, Campo de Mayo, Dirty War, disappearances
Links	Appeals Decision (in Spanish)

Summary

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 appeals case, the life sentence of Bignone and three other accused for their involvement in the illegal deprivation of liberty, torture and the murder of Diego Muniz Barreto and Juan José Fernández, was affirmed.

Procedural history

This second case against Bignone commenced on 27 September 2010 and on 14 April 2011 the Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No. 1 of San Martín sentenced Mr Bignone to life imprisonment. He was convicted for his involvement in the illegal deprivation of liberty, torture and the murder of Diego Muniz Barreto and Juan José Fernández. Three other accused were sentenced to life imprisonment.

(See also: Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal No1 of San Martín, Fundaments of Conviction, 5 May 2011)

Legally 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.

The “Campo de Mayo” was a military area outside of Buenos Aires, which between 1976 and 1980 was divided into four different secret detention and torture centres: El Campito, La Casita, La Prisión Militar de Encausados and El Hospital Militar. The area was under the control and command of the Command of Military Institutes (Comando de Institutos Militares), which was led by Reynaldo Bignone, among others.

Court's holding and analysis

The Federal Chamber of Criminal Appeals in its decision of 7 December 2012 also confirmed the conviction and sentencing of the Federal Criminal Oral Tribunal with regards to Mr Bignone in the case of “Muniz Barreto and Gonçalves.”