Human rights organizations call for investigations, Supreme Court decision on amnesty law
On the 34th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero, Salvadoran human rights organizations called for the intervention of Human Rights Ombudsman David Morales to ensure the justice system’s prompt response to the petitions of victims of crimes against humanity.
Representing victims and survivors from across the country, the organizations Association Pro-Búsqueda, the Foundation for the Study and Application of Law (FESPAD), the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University (IDHUCA), and Tutela Legal María Julia Hernández asked the Ombudsman to direct official inquiries urging the opening of investigations of human rights complaints submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Ministry, and calling on the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the amnesty law.
Today the organizations plan to carry their message directly to the Supreme Court, almost a year after challenging the amnesty law, which has blocked prosecutions for human rights violations committed during the civil war. The intention of these actions, said FESPAD Director María Silvia Guillen, “is to pressure the institutions of the State to fulfill their obligations,” because “it would appear that these institutions are not following the path of justice, but of other interests and of impunity.”
In statements shared via Twitter, Human Rights Ombudsman David Morales said, “There is no excuse to continue denying justice to victims of human rights violations,” noting, “the Supreme Court has affirmed that amnesty does not apply to grave human rights violations.”
MT @PDDHElSalvador “Supreme Court has affirmed that amnesty does not apply to grave human rights violations, says Human Rights Ombudsman”
— Unfinished Sentences (@TruthElSalvador) March 25, 2014
MT @PDDHElSalvador “There is no excuse to continue denying justice for victims of human rights violations, says Human Rights Ombudsman”
— Unfinished Sentences (@TruthElSalvador) March 25, 2014
Nonetheless, investigations of violations including some of the most brutal massacres committed by state forces have only just begun, and many victims and survivors continue to await an official response to their legal complaints.