IACHR brings case before IA Court over forcible disappearance of priest during military dictatorship in Panama

December 5, 2025

Washington, DC—On August 27, 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) submitted Case No. 13.017-B regarding Panama to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IA Court). The case concerns the State’s international responsibility for the enforced disappearance of Father Jesús Héctor Gallego Herrera, which took place under the military dictatorship that governed the country until December 20, 1989.

The petition, which was received by the IACHR in 2003, concerns the case of Colombian priest Father Jesús Héctor Gallego Herrera, who carried out pastoral and community work with campesino families in Santa Fe, Veraguas. Father Gallego Herrera’s work promoted cooperatives, Christian groups, and initiatives focused on human rights and community development. On June 9, 1971, Father Gallego Herrera was harassed, his house was burned down, and he was detained by individuals linked to the National Guard. His whereabouts have remained unknown since.

The initial investigations into his disappearance were deficient and marred by irregularities, leading to the case being closed in 1973. In 1990, after the fall of the military regime, the Catholic Church succeeded in reopening the case. In 1994, three former members of the National Guard were convicted as accomplices to homicide. However, the ruling did not address the responsibility of higher-ranking officials, and one of the accused remained a fugitive.

In Merits Report no. 273/22, the IACHR determined that sufficient evidence exists to conclude that Father Gallego Herrera was detained and forcibly disappeared by State agents, in a broader context of repression and enforced disappearances under Panama’s de facto military governments. The IACHR found that the State failed to investigate and prosecute with due diligence, thereby fostering impunity. It further concluded that Father Gallego Herrera’s disappearance was intended to halt his pastoral work and his initiatives for campesino communities.

The IACHR concluded that the State is responsible for violating the rights to recognition as a person before the law, life, personal integrity, and personal liberty; freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of association; and judicial guarantees and judicial protection enshrined in articles 3, 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, 12.1, 16.1, 8.1, and 25.1 of the American Convention on Human Rights, in relation to article 1.1, to the detriment of Father Jesús Héctor Gallego Herrera and his family. It also found that the State failed to comply with its obligations under articles I(a) and (b) and III of the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons, in force since February 28, 1996.

In light of these findings, the IACHR asked the IA Court to order the following measures of reparation:

1. Provide full reparations for the human rights violations mentioned above, including measures of satisfaction and compensation for material and nonmaterial damages.
2. Investigate the whereabouts of Jesús Héctor Gallego Herrera through a search plan with measurable results and with the involvement of his family, and, should his remains be located, ensure their identification and return.
3. Provide physical and mental health care to the victim’s family members, should they so choose, in consultation with them.
4. Continue investigations with due diligence and impartiality to identify and prosecute those responsible for both masterminding and carrying out the violations listed above.
5. Implement measures of nonrepetition, including:
   1. Public policies and forensic protocols for the management of archives and genetic material related to victims of the dictatorship.
   2. Training for authorities on inter-American standards and on the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 254/25

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