Swiss court annuls Sperisen’s 15-year sentence

Lawyers for Sperisen speak to the media outside of the courthouse. © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

The Federal Court has overturned Erwin Sperisen's 15-year prison sentence for aiding and abetting murder. This followed a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Geneva cantonal court handed down the original verdict against the former police chief of Guatemala in 2018. In a ruling scheduled for publication on Monday, the Supreme Court partially allows Sperisen’s appeal.

This is based on the ECHR ruling of June 13th. The Human Rights Court in Strasbourg came to the conclusion that the President of the Appeal Chamber of the Geneva Court of Appeal was biased.

The Federal Court referred the case back to the Geneva courts so that they could resume the proceedings as they were at the beginning of October 2017. It did not decide whether to release Sperisen. This was suspended at the request of the Geneva public prosecutor’s office. 

The decision rests with the cantonal criminal and enforcement court.

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