Swiss Federal Court Overturns Conviction of Former Director of Guatemalan Police for Prisoner Murders

Former Director of Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC) Erwin Sperisen has had his conviction overturned by the Swiss Federal Court. Sperisen, who also holds Swiss nationality, had previously been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his alleged involvement in the murder of prisoners at Pavón prison. The court ruling, issued on October 20, calls for the Criminal Appeal and Review Chamber of the canton of Geneva to reopen the investigation. Sperisen’s lawyer, Florian Baier, hailed the decision as a “victory” and a step towards rehabilitating his client’s name and honor. The case will now be transferred to the Criminal Court of Appeal and Review in Geneva, following the June 13 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that criticized Switzerland for the partiality of a judge involved in the case. Sperisen, who has always maintained his innocence, was arrested in Geneva in 2012 and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018 for his alleged role in the 2006 killing of seven prisoners during a prison operation.