Erwin Sperisen outside parliament in Bern on November 13
Keystone
Erwin Sperisen, the former head of Guatemala’s police force, has lost an appeal against a 15-year prison sentence for his complicity in the killing of seven prisoners in Guatemala in 2006.
Sperisen’s lawyers have announced they will go to the European Court of Human Rights. On Friday, his lawyer told the Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS that Sperisen was back in Champ-Dollon prison.
In a decision published on Thursday the Federal Court in Lausanne confirmed the main points of the verdict handed down by a Geneva court on April 27, 2018. The judges ruled Sperisen’s conviction was unobjectionable. However, the Geneva judicial authorities must compensate him because of his acquittal for the death of three other people.
Sperisen, a dual Swiss-Guatemalan citizen who maintains his innocence in the murders, was initially sentenced to life in prison by a Geneva court for the crimes committed as head of the Guatemalan police force.
The legal proceedings have taken place in Switzerland because that is where he has lived since 2007 and Switzerland does not extradite its citizens. The case is a rare example of Swiss justice trying a defendant for crimes committed in another country.
Guatemala issued an international arrest warrant for Sperisen in 2010 and a year later he was detained in Geneva.
In 2017, the Federal Court annulled a verdict by the Geneva court, which handed down and confirmed the life sentence in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
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Swiss-Guatemalan ex-police chief sentenced to 15 years in prison
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Erwin Sperisen, the former head of Guatemala’s police force, was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for his "complicity" in the killing of seven inmates in 2006.
Former Guatemala police chief Sperisen has life sentence upheld
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The crimes for which he had been on trial occurred between 2005-2006. Sperisen was found guilty in this latest court session of ordering the execution of three prisoners who attempted to escape from a prison centre in November and December 2005. He was accused of asking his subordinates to make it seem as though detainees…
Life sentence for Guatemalan police chief Sperisen
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Sperisen, who has dual Swiss-Guatemalan citizenship, was on Friday sentenced to life for his crimes. According to the judges, because of his rank, Sperisen played a decisive role in the killings. In one case, he carried out one of the executions himself. Sperisen’s lawyers had been asking for his acquittal and have said they will appeal…
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Sperisen allegedly asked his subordinates to make it seem as though ten detainees had clashed with police in three separate incidents before they were shot. According to the Geneva prosecutor’s office, Sperisen, because of his rank, played a decisive role in the killings. In one case, he allegedly carried out one of the executions himself.…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.