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Rights group urges El Salvador to repeal amnesty law

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) on Tuesday urged government officials in El Salvador to repeal a 1993 amnesty law that prevents any investigation into killings committed during the country's 12-year civil war, including the killing of respected Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero. AI also urged officials to cooperate with any investigation into the prosecution of those who committed criminal acts during the conflict. No offenders have been brought to justice for any crimes committed during the war. AI deputy director Kerrie Howard recommended the law be immediately repealed: It is unacceptable that those responsible for thousands of disappearances, killings and torture have not been held to account for their crimes. The Amnesty law must be urgently repealed and full investigations, initiated.Wednesday marks the thirtieth anniversary of Romero's death.In November, El Salvador government officials agreed to a state investigation into the death of Romero, nearly a decade after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights first recommended an inquiry into the murder. Romero was assassinated by a death squad while saying mass in San Salvador. An outspoken critic of the military junta, his death is viewed as one of the catalysts of the war, which left more than 70,000 people dead. In 2004, a US federal court held Alvaro Saravia liable for Romero's murder and ordered him to pay $10 million in damages to the archbishop's family. While other suits have been brought against former Salvadoran state agents in US courts, human rights groups contend that the amnesty laws have undermined the rule of law and led to impunity in El Salvador. Other Latin American countries have recently overturned similar amnesty laws including Uruguay and Argentina.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 24, 2010 (boomark / email).