Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Rights group urges Guatemala to approve civil war search commission

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

ADVERTISEMENTS

[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday urged the Guatemalan Congress to approve a law establishing a National Search Commission for the Persons Forcibly and Involuntarily Disappeared. The proposed legislation was presented to the Guatemalan Congress in January 2007, and was an important part of a 1999 report by the Commission for Historical Clarification. Prompted by the Peace Accords of 1996, the report stated that 200,000 people were disappeared during the 30-year internal conflict. AI's Americas Deputy Director Kerrie Howard commented:The Historical Clarification Commission's report was a massive landmark for human rights in Guatemala. Now it is time for the government to deliver some justice.Also included in the report were recommendations to make amends to the survivors and victim's families. Earlier this month, the director of Guatemala's National Compensation Program (PNR) announced that the government has filed more than 3,000 criminal complaints for human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict on behalf of 5000 victims. There remains a backlog of 98,000 civilian complaints, and 1,000 were made in 2008.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 25, 2009 (boomark / email).