Trial critical to national reconciliation and peace in Guatemala
Media Advisory for: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 1:00 pm EDT, 11 am CST/ Guatemala time and 10:00 am PDT
Washington DC – Seven Nobel Laureates, including Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, and human rights advocates are urging the Guatemalan judicial system to continue the trial of former President Efraín Ríos Montt and his former intelligence chief. They are also calling on the government of Guatemala to guarantee the protection and safety of survivors and those involved in the trial—including the judges and lawyers for the prosecution, members of civil society organizations and members of indigenous communities.
The trial, which is the first time a former head of state has been tried in a national court for genocide, has been temporarily suspended while waiting on rulings from the Constitutional Court after a judge last week attempted to have the proceedings annulled. The Constitutional Court issued a series of rulings on Tuesday, with more rulings expected later this week or next Monday.
Survivors of mass human rights violations including torture, killings, and sexual violence have testified to the abuses suffered throughout Guatemala’s civil war. “We call on all Guatemalans to respect a legitimate, independent and transparent judicial process. Any possibility of corruption in this trial must be investigated, and authorities must act to ensure that the highest standards of integrity are respected,” the Laureates say in the statement.
To read the full statement, click here for English http://bit.ly/Zrl5W7 or here for Spanish http://bit.ly/10zRz1Z.
WHAT: Phone Conference “Nobel Laureates Call for Case Against Rios Montt to Proceed in Guatemala”
WHEN: Thursday, April 25, 2013
1:00 pm EDT, 11 am CST/ Guatemala time and 10:00 am PDT
HOW: Reporters can attend by dialing
866-952-1906 (U.S. callers)
+001 785-424-1825 (international callers)
RSVP: Reserve your place by contacting Rachel Vincent at rvincent@nobelwomensinitiative.org
WHO:
Moderator: Patricia Brooks, principal at MatchMap Media, LLC
Speakers: Kate Doyle, Director of the Evidence Project at the National Security Archive
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Laureate (pending)
Claudia Samayoa, Coordinator of UNDEFEGUA ( Human Rights Defenders Protection Unit in Guatemala)
Pamela Yates, Documentary Filmmaker, including “Granito: How to Nail a Dictator ”
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