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Spain court to try 14 Salvadorans accused of Jesuit killings

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

[JURIST] A judge in the Penal Chamber of the National Court of Spain in Madrid on Tuesday ordered a trial for the men allegedly responsible for the killings of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter. Judge Eloy Velasco admitted the plea entered in November by the Spanish Association for Human Rights, finding that the court has jurisdiction to take the case against 14 former officials of the Salvadoran Army on the basis of accusations of crimes against humanity. Velasco also appointed Domingo Jose Collado Molinero as Prosecutor for the case. The court declined to try former President Alfredo Cristiani for lack of sufficient evidence and because he is accused of aiding to conceal the accused, an act that is not considered to be a crime against humanity. The court has initiated an investigation that will begin by taking statements from Salvadoran authorities who were involved with the case. In November, the Spanish Association for Human Rights filed this suit under the principle of universal jurisdiction in conjunction with the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), a human rights organization based in San Francisco, California. The CJA plea is still awaiting decision of the court on whether it will be admitted, pending further submission of documents.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 14, 2009 (boomark / email).