The deputy prosecutor in the 1985 Trial of the Juntas was honored with the UNR's highest recognition.

In a University Cultural Space filled with attendees, the Universidad Nacional de Rosario presented the title of Doctor Honoris Causa to the renowned Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo for his key role in the Argentine democratic transition and in international criminal justice worldwide. 

“It is an honor to welcome Luis to our home because, at a very delicate moment for the Argentine university system, we honor with this ceremony his academic and professional career, but also much of what we aspire to be as an institution. It allows us to make a statement of principles,” said Rector Franco Bartolacci, adding: “We are before a very important figure in our history. We are proud that our community, through the Superior Council, has unanimously voted to award this recognition, which is the most important one our University has.”  

Moreno Ocampo served as deputy prosecutor in the 1985 Military Junta Trial, the first trial of the top leaders of Argentina's last military-civilian dictatorship, which ran from 1976 to 1983. Along with prosecutor Julio César Strassera, he played a key role in this trial, the first against military commanders for the mass murder of individuals since the Nuremberg Trials, and the only one in the world conducted by civilian courts.

He also participated in the trials for military negligence against those most responsible for the Falklands War, corruption cases involving high-ranking government officials, and the trials for the military rebellions of January 1988 and the most recent one in December 1990.

“Little needs to be said to justify why Luis deserves this recognition; the arguments are clear. We are very grateful that he has granted us the enormous privilege of joining our faculty, because our University demands two things to justify the awarding of the Honorary Doctorate: a significant academic career, but at the same time, the application of a set of principles and values ​​that are constitutive of the Argentine public system and are those that he embraces for the life of our community. And this is reflected in his courage during one of the most difficult moments, playing a key role in the development of the most important legal event in the history of our country,” Bartolacci explained.  

In 2003, he was elected by 78 countries as the first Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court. He had to create an unprecedented office to make the Nuremberg legacy permanent. He examined crimes committed in 17 different countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Colombia, and Uganda. He opened investigations in seven countries, securing the prosecution of national leaders such as Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, former President Laurent Gbagbo of the Margil Coast, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur.

Alejandro Vila, dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, who is sponsoring this recognition for Moreno Ocampo, emphasized his pride in having him join the faculty because "he is, from now on and forever, a part of the UNR." "Luis played a fundamental role in the history of our country and in the search for truth and justice. The Trial of the Juntas not only marked a milestone for Argentina, but for the entire world. Throughout all these years, he has demonstrated a firm commitment to human rights and democracy, which is inspiring for all of us," he commented. 

Visibly moved, Luis Moreno Ocampo expressed his gratitude for this distinction from the UNR community, explaining that "it's a privilege to be recognized because, honestly, I wanted to be a professor; that was my obsession. And my job as a prosecutor ruined my university career. So, returning to this origin now seems very interesting to me."

Moreno Ocampo recalled that in 1983, with the arrival of democracy, the dean of the UBA Law School offered him the position of deputy director of the Research Institute, which he described as a significant process in his personal growth. “I also worked at the Attorney General's Office, issuing opinions before the Supreme Court, and I truly believed it was very important to educate and teach law students how to handle problems in a country that had been under so many dictatorships. We organized what was called the three-dimensional course, where we combined three courses: Criminal Law I, Criminal Law II, and Criminal Procedure. These are three different ways of teaching law. We combined them into a two-year course, where students analyzed cases and took seminars with highly recognized professors of that era. That was a wonderful academic experience, but my participation was interrupted when I joined Julio Strassera. That's why I always wanted to remain involved with public education, because it's very important for the growth of our country.”

He also emphasized that his incorporation into the UNR faculty is not a mere formality, but rather a real opportunity to begin carrying out joint research tasks and projects. "We have spoken with Rector Bartolacci and have thought of many projects to launch, since the Universidad Nacional de Rosario It has a very important team of researchers and teachers, who stand out in their areas of knowledge.”   

After receiving the UNR's highest recognition, Moreno Ocampo gave a keynote address entitled "Justice and the Protection of Our Rights in 1976, 1985, and 2025."

Journalist: Gonzalo J. García/ Photographer: Karen Roeschlin