CSOs and experts continue fighting for the recognition of victims’ rights in anti-corruption: a new amicus curiae submitted to the IACHR

February 2026 –

In an effort to amplify the voices of victims of corruption, a group of civil society organizations and legal experts came together in October last year to launch the initiative “Stronger Together: Justice for Victims of Corruption.”

The initiative was spearheaded by a coalition of organizations and experts, including the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, Due Process of Law Foundation, Lawyers Without Borders, Proética, TOJIL, and the Comité de Participación Ciudadana of Mexico’s National Anti-Corruption System, alongside leading practitioners and advocates such as Naomi Roht-Arriaza, Juan Pablo Olmedo, and Jose Ugaz, among others.

‘Stronger Together’ seeks to expand the legal recognition of victims of corruption and to strengthen a growing international movement that civil society has been advancing for many years: ensuring that individuals and communities harmed by corruption are no longer treated as bystanders, but as rights-holders, with a voice in legal proceedings and meaningful access to justice and remedies.

Building on this momentum, we are pleased to share that in December of last year, an amicus curiae brief has been submitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in support of TOJIL’s petition, originally filed in 2020, concerning the corruption case of Javier Duarte, former Governor of the Mexican state of Veracruz. This submission highlights the human rights impacts of corruption and underscores the importance of recognizing victims’ rights within anti-corruption and accountability processes. We are grateful to the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and to all the experts who contributed their time and expertise to make this submission possible.

Read the Spanish version here.

Amicus final ENG -TOJI CASE signed Download

This amicus reinforces the long-standing work of TOJIL, an anti-corruption NGO working in Mexico, who have been pursuing justice in the Duarte case for almost a decade. Reflecting on the obstacles faced in corruption litigation, the co-founders of TOJIL, Estefania Medina and Adriana Greave, captured a painful reality in a piece written some years ago:

“Why is there such strong resistance to recognizing victims in corruption cases? Essentially, this is because many prosecutors and judges are part of the same corruption networks and their interest is to protect those networks, rather than to bring them to justice”.

Now five years on since the statement, it is a warning that still resonates but this resistance is slowly giving way thanks to the growing evidence that law can be transformative when it incorporates citizen participation, collective rights, and recognition of victims of corruption. Importantly, efforts have expanded to emphasise a human rights-based approach to anti-corruption.

Who is TOJIL and what is the Javier Duarte Case?

TOJIL’s petition stems from allegations that Javier Duarte embezzled USD30 million earmarked for education and health programs. The case ended in a plea bargain resulting in a nine-year prison sentence and a fine of less than USD 3,000, with no compensation to the victims of his corruption scheme. The plea deal has been widely questioned, including due to allegations that federal prosecutors accepted a bribe from Duarte in exchange for its terms.

In response, TOJIL intervened to ensure that the voices of victims of corruption could be represented and that the collective damage caused by corruption could be recognised and addressed. As part of this effort, TOJIL formally requested to be recognised as a victim of corruption: a strategic step to help challenge outcomes that overlook the broader public harm.

Although a federal court initially denied that request, TOJIL later obtained a landmark amparo ruling in which, for the first time in Mexico, a judge acknowledged that an NGO can be recognised as a victim of corruption. The Attorney General subsequently challenged that decision, and the matter has since proceeded before the IACHR, which notified the Mexican State on 24 October 2023, initiating the admissibility process.

Several steps remain before an admissibility report is issued—and, potentially, before the case proceeds to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. But by submitting this amicus, we aim to help advance a precedent that strengthens recognition, protection, and remedy for victims of corruption and, ultimately, reinforces accountability in corruption cases that affect society at large.