120 organizations ask Argentine state to withdraw Carlos Horacio de Casas’ candidacy to IACHR

120 organizations – human rights, unions, rural movements and associations working on matters of justice, gender equality, the environment, LGBTI rights and freedom of speech – contest the candidacy of Carlos Horacio de Casas for membership on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and ask the state to withdraw his nomination.

This candidate’s profile and professional career has no ties to the defense or promotion of human rights, but rather to corporate, economic criminal and tax law. Furthermore, de Casas has spoken out against international standards of freedom of speech, equality and non-discrimination of LGBTI persons and women’s rights. He has taken a position against the repeal of the crime of contempt, which has been used in Argentina against members of the press and challenged by the IACHR. His only experience in the Inter-American system was in the defense of three executives of a Uruguayan company accused of financial crimes. Moreover, two attorneys from his law firm defended a mining company that had severely affected indigenous communities in Guatemala, in a case tried in the Inter-American System.

In recent days, to defend his candidacy de Casas lied about the military background of Enrique Blas Gómez Saa, whom he defended individually in the trial against him for illegal deprivation of liberty and aggravated torture in the political persecution of victims. De Casas falsified dates and places where Gómez Saa was on duty. The candidate affirmed that his defendant had been removed from duty in 1977, but he actually left service in 1979. De Casas also said that Gómez Saa “was innocent, exactly as the courts had declared.” However, the Mendoza Federal Appeals Court revoked the lack of merits judgment in February 2012 and ruled in favor of his prosecution, taking the case to trial. In other words, the Mendoza federal courts deemed that there was sufficient evidence for Gómez Saa to face trial.

For these reasons, we the signatory organizations contest the candidacy of Carlos Horacio de Casas for membership on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and submit our request to Foreign Affairs Minister, Susanna Malcorra, for the Argentine state to withdraw the nomination.

To see the contestation, click here.