Uruguay faces IACHR petition over dictatorship-era torture

The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and attorney Flor de María Meza Tananta have filed a petition against the State of Uruguay before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The petition is filed on behalf of 15 former political prisoners and their families, alleging illegal and arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence committed during the country's state terrorism period (1973–1985).

The complainants argue that these actions constituted crimes against humanity intended to “degrade, humiliate and ideologically destroy women” due to their status as both militants and transgressors. The petition highlights the gendered dimension of the violence, suggesting it was part of a systematic plan rather than isolated incidents.

These 15 women are part of a larger group of 28 who filed a collective complaint in Uruguay in 2011. Despite the passage of over 40 years since the return to democracy and 14 years since the domestic complaint, the criminal case remains without a definitive resolution, and most responsible parties have not been sanctioned. The petitioners are seeking a determination of international responsibility by the State and comprehensive reparations.