Lynn v. Argentina, Merits, Reparations, and Costs, Series C No. 556, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, 2 July 2025

The disciplinary proceedings conducted against a person deprived of liberty without guaranteeing the right to defence, legal assistance, and effective judicial review violate the right to a fair trial and the right to judicial protection.

Art. 8 ACHR
Art. 25 ACHR

1. The State is responsible when, in the context of prison disciplinary proceedings, it fails to ensure that the detainee has adequate time and means to prepare a defence, the right to effective legal assistance, the possibility to present evidence, and the requirement of a reasoned administrative decision.

2. A disciplinary decision that places the burden of proving innocence on the detainee and fails to clearly set out the reasons for the sanction violates the right to the presumption of innocence.

3. The State incurs international responsibility when judicial authorities merely endorse the decisions of the prison administration without conducting a substantive review of legality and proportionality, thereby depriving the detainee of an effective remedy against violations of their rights.

4. The regression in the regime of sentence execution and the revocation of prison benefits without adequate reasoning or a legal basis violate the rehabilitative purpose of punishment and the detainee’s right to personal liberty.