Sperisen demands CHF8 million in compensation

Erwin Sperisen. Keystone-SDA

Erwin Sperisen, the former head of Guatemala's national civil police, is demanding CHF8 million ($9.4 million) in compensation from the state of Geneva. He argues that he is innocent and was unjustly deprived of his freedom for 11 years.

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Sperisen’s defence lawyers demanded this compensation on Tuesday before the Geneva Appeals Chamber. This sum also includes the costs of the defence. Giorgio Campa, one of his lawyers, concluded his plea by asking the judges to acquit the Swiss-Guatemalan dual citizen.

He called on them to pass a judgment of reparation and not a judgment of shame. “You must recognise that my client was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.”

+ Erwin Sperisen faces trial in Geneva for the fourth time

Sperisen had been convicted of murder and later of accessory to murder and had already been tried three times in Geneva. The defendant is accused by the public prosecutor of having consented to the shooting of seven prisoners by a hit squad during a prison mutiny.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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