Guatemala: Emma Molina Theissen testifies against the five officers charged with detaining, torturing, and raping her

The prosecutor in the Emma Molina Theissen trial presents Emma’s prerecorded video statement before the High Risk Court “C.” In the video, Emma recounts how the Guatemalan military imprisoned her and her boyfriend, Julio César, in 1976 before killing César in 1980. She describes how military personnel captured her in Quetzaltenango in 1980, hoping to …

Guatemala: Former military dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt dies before completion of war crimes retrial

Former Guatemalan military dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt dies of a heart attack at the age of 91. In the 17 months that he ruled Guatemala after his 1982 military coup, Ríos Montt ran a military regime in which an estimated 200,00 people were killed, 83 percent of whom were indigenous citizens. After his 2013 …

Guatemala: Protected witness testifies to seeing Emma Molina Theissen in military custody

Protected witness “G,” who was a member of the Guatemalan Workers’ Party along with Emma Molina Theissen, testifies via video conference. Witness “G” tells the court that days after Emma failed to arrive at a party meeting, he saw military intelligence officers driving her in a white Bronco in Quetzaltenango. He further states that these …

Guatemala: Trial begins for the Molina Theissen case

The high-profile Molina Theissen trial beings in Guatemala’s High Risk Court “C.” Five retired military officials face charges of crimes against humanity stemming from the 1981 detention, torture, and rape of Emma Molina Theissen and the enforced disappearance of her brother Marco. This case is significant because it will shed light on how the military …

Guatemala: Congressional bill proposes amnesty for all international crimes

A bill presented to the Guatemalan Congress seeks to reform the Law of National Reconciliation (LNR) by creating a blanket amnesty for all combatants accused of international crimes such as genocide, torture, and other crimes against humanity. The proposal, signed by 13 members of Congress, aims to extend the LNR’s amnesty for political crimes to …

Guatemala: Trial date set for Molina Theissen case

Guatemala’s High Risk Court “C” schedules the trial of five retired military officers for March 1, 2018. The officers are charged with crimes against humanity for the illegal detention, torture, and rape of Emma Molina Theissen, a student activist, in 1981. The former officers also face charges for the disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen, …

Guatemala warns against the CICIG “meddling in internal affairs”

Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reinstates the visa of Ivan Velásquez, the Commissioner of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), after revoking it on October 9th. In doing so, the Ministry warned Velásquez should “abstain from meddling in internal affairs.”

Genocide Trial Begins for Former Guatemalan Dictator Efraín Ríos Montt

The re-trials of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and his intelligence chief Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez begin after the previous trials were suspended on June 3, 2016. In separate proceedings, Ríos Montt and Rodríguez Sánchez face charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for the killing of 1,771 indigenous Guatemalans in 1982. Due to Montt's dementia, …

Colombian government reaffirms commitment to Special Jurisdiction for Peace

The Colombian government defends the creation of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to Congress as “fundamental for the effective fulfillment of international obligations in the field of human rights.” This demonstrates the government’s continued efforts to both fast-track the passage of laws agreed upon in the 2016 peace accord with the FARC and assuage the …

Guatemala: President Morales Calls for Chief of CICIG to Resign

A nationwide protest of 205,000 participants calls for the resignation of Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and 111 members of Congress relating to accusations of corruption. Congress, in response to the demonstrations, revokes legislation which commuted the sentences of 400 crimes, including extortion and illicit campaign contributions. President Morales calls for the resignation of Iván Valásquez, …