Ríos Montt’s trial is the ultimate test for Guatemala’s justice system
January 7, 2016
Ríos Montts trial is the ultimate test for Guatemalas justice system
The trial of Guatemalas former military ruler, José Efraín Ríos Montt, due to start on January 11, will be a major test for the countrys justice system and a huge opportunity for Guatemala to show it is committed to human rights, said Amnesty International today.
Tens of thousands of Guatemalans who fell victim to the heinous crimes committed under Ríos Montts rule have been waiting three decades to see justice done they must not be forced to wait one second longer, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
The Guatemalan see no evil, hear no evil approach when it comes to dealing with the hundreds of thousands of cases of torture, killings and disappearances that took place during the countrys civil war is shameful and illegal. The only deterrent to the perpetrators of crimes like these is the clear knowledge that they will face justice and the full might of the law.
Efraín Ríos Montt is charged with crimes against humanity and genocide in relation to the killing and torture of 1,771 Mayan-Ixil Indigenous people and the forced displacement of tens of thousands when he was president and commander-in-chief of the Guatemalan Army between 1982 and 1983.
More:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/rios-montt-s-trial-is-the-ultimate-test-for-guatemala-s-justice-system