Guatemala's top court overturns ex-dictator's genocide conviction
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 21 May 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Guatemala's top court overturns ex-dictator's genocide conviction, 21 May 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51a47a2b16.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 21, 2013
Former Guatemalan leader Efrain Rios Montt gestures as he speaks at his genocide trial in Guatemala City in early May.
Guatemala's highest court has overturned the genocide conviction of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt and ordered a new trial.
Rios Montt had been found guilty on May 10 and sentenced to 80 years in prison in what had been seen as an historic verdict.
The Constitutional Court, however, on May 20 ordered that all proceedings in the case be voided going back to April 19, citing several appeal issues.
It was not immediately clear when the trial might restart.
Rios Montt, 86, was convicted of genocide in connection with the massacres of indigenous people during Guatemala's 1960-96 civil war.
Rios Montt seized power in 1982 and ruled until 1983 during what is widely seen as one of the bloodiest periods of the war between the military and leftist rebels.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
