This case concerns the extrajudicial executions of teenage brothers Igmar Alexander Landaeta Mejías and Eduardo José Landaeta Mejías by State officials. The events occurred in the context of widespread extrajudicial executions in Venezuela, mainly by members of regional police forces caused by a poor institutional structure and a lack of effective oversight. When the Court considered the case, the State had yet to prosecute the authorities responsible for the executions. The criminal proceedings relating to Igmar's execution resulted in a dismissal, while the criminal proceedings relating to Eduardo's execution were still underway, sixteen years after their death. Eventually, the Court unanimously found that the state violated Igmar's right to life, Eduardo's rights to life and personal liberty, and the Mejías family's rights to judicial guarantees and judicial protection. The Court held that it was not incumbent to rule upon the alleged violation of Igmar's right to humane treatment and that it did not have sufficient evidence to conclude that the State violated Eduardo's right to humane treatment.
Case Summary: Landaeta Mejías Brothers et al. v. Venezuela