The year was dominated by the events related to the arrest of General (retd.) Augusto Pinochet in the United Kingdom and the investigations into past human rights violations involving Pinochet and other high-ranking retired military officers.
Frequent allegations of threats, intimidation and attacks on judges and prosecutors, as well as an ineffective or insufficient system of protection within the judiciary for those targeted by such threats, are the main obstacles for the independence of the judiciary in Guatemala.
The Rule of Law and democracy further deteriorated in Peru where the judiciary is often politically manipulated and judicial proceedings, especially those before military tribunals, offer few guarantees of due process of law.
A new constitution was approved by plebiscite at the end of the year. A radical restructuring of the judiciary, following serious denunciations of corruption and inefficiency, provided the backdrop for attacks on its independence and the suspension or dismissal of at least 229 judges.
Paraguay experienced a year of political instability that served as a framework for continuous attacks on the judiciary, especially on members of the Supreme Court.
Kyrgyz Republic: ICJ welcomes Constitutional Court ruling blocking reintroduction of the death penalty
UN HRC: ICJ Statement on the Human Rights Situation in Venezuela
FES-ICJ High-Level Conference: The role of civil society in the UN80 Initiative
Laos: After 13 years, renewed international action needed to ensure justice in Sombath Somphone’s enforced disappearance