Argentine court orders review of Malvinas War torture investigation

The Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation in Argentina has ordered a re-examination of an investigation into the alleged torture of three Argentine soldiers during the 1982 Malvinas War. The court's Fourth Chamber, in a majority decision, overturned a previous ruling that had dismissed the classification of these acts as crimes against humanity.

This reclassification is significant because excluding the crimes against humanity designation could lead to the case being closed due to the statute of limitations. The court directed the Federal Chamber of Appeals of Comodoro Rivadavia to review defense appeals against the indictments of two military members, Reynaldo José Pascuzzi and Carlos María Alemán Urquiza.

The investigation focuses on incidents involving soldiers Hugo Vicente Sandoval, Eulogio Epifanio Contrera, and Ernesto Raúl Sánchez. According to testimonies, the victims allegedly suffered extreme punishments on the mainland, including being staked in the snow, exposure to extreme temperatures, forced labor, insufficient food, beatings, and mock executions.