On June 3, PBI-Guatemala posted: “PBI accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm (Bufete Jurídico de Derechos Humanos) on the third day of the hearing of the first statement in the case of the Military Journal.”

PBI-Guatemala has also accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm on June 1 and June 2, the first two days of this historic trial.

Ruda explains: “The Diario Militar keeps a record of the names, photographs, addresses, and addresses of men and women who have been arrested, detained, disappeared, and murdered. The list includes students, university professors, trade unionists, and members of social organizations that the Army identified as allies of the guerrillas.”

The eleven retired soldiers and police officers are on trial for their alleged participation in the kidnapping, forced disappearance, and extrajudicial executions of at least 183 people between 1983 and 1985.

The eleven include retired General Marco Antonio Gonzalez Taracena, former members of the Military Intelligence Directorate, the former commander of the military zone of the department (province) of Chimaltenango, and the former head of the Special Operations Brigade of the National Police. They are accused of crimes against humanity, murder, attempted murder, and enforced disappearance.

PBI-Guatemala began to accompany BDH lawyer Édgar Pérez Archila in August 2010 due to several security incidents he had faced in relation to the high-profile judicial processes he was working on. At the end of 2013, PBI-Guatemala extended the accompaniment to the other lawyers of the BDH who work in high-profile trials to fight against impunity and in defending criminalized human rights defenders.

Tweet by H.I.J.O.S. Guatemala.

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