Letelier v. Chile fr

Country of proceedings: United-States
Context of crimes: United-States
Date: 1978 - 1992
Keywords: Murder, immunities (sovereign)

Court Documents
11-03-1980 - Memorandum order
05-11-1980 - Memorandum order

Presentation of the case
In 1976, the former Chilean foreign Minister Orlando Letelier and his American aide, Ronni Moffitt, were killed by a car bomb in Washington D.C. The investigation revealed that the assassination was ordered either by the head of Chile’s secret police, General Manuel Contreras, or directly by the head of the then governing military junta, Augusto Pinochet.

In 1978, relatives of both the victims sued Chile and the individuals allegedly involved in the case. Chile refused to participate in the proceedings, claiming that a politically motivated assassination is a sovereign act and thus immune under the theory of state immunity. The Court rejected Chile’s argument, holding that the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act did not provide discretion for political assassination in foreign countries. In a subsequent decision, the Court awarded plaintiffs over five million dollars.

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