El Salvador rejects Amnesty Law in historic ruling
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 14 July 2016 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, El Salvador rejects Amnesty Law in historic ruling, 14 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5788d6b74.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| 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. |
A decision by El Salvador's Supreme Court to declare the country's Amnesty Law unconstitutional is a historic and long awaited step forward for justice, Amnesty International said.
"Today is an historic day for human rights in El Salvador. By turning its back on a law that has done nothing but let criminals get away with serious human rights violations for decades, the country is finally dealing with its tragic past," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
"El Salvador must waste no time and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility for the tens of thousands of unlawful killings and enforced disappearances that were committed during the internal armed conflict to justice. Victims should not be made to wait for justice, truth and reparation for a second longer."
According to a UN Truth Commission, more than 75,000 people were tortured, unlawfully killed and forcibly disappeared during the internal armed conflict in El Salvador between 1980 and 1992.
The Salvadorian army was responsible for a number of massacres in villages accused of supporting guerrilla groups.
Five days after the UN Truth Commission published its recommendations in 1993, authorities in El Salvador passed an Amnesty Law that has so far prevented investigations into the human rights violations committed during the conflict.
