On September 16, Peace Brigades International presented during the Interactive Dialogue with Fabian Salvioli, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition.
You can watch the video of the presentation in Spanish here. You can also watch it with English interpretation here (starting at 02:18:45).
Geneva-based PBI advocacy coordinator Kim-Mai Vu stated:
“In Guatemala, Colombia and Honduras there is concern about the increase in attacks against independence justice, defenders, journalists and justice operators. The fight against impunity is key to accessing truth, justice and reparations.
In Guatemala, the decision of the Constitutional Court to eliminate criminal and enable commutation of prison sentences for corruption cases, the new attempt by Congress to ratify a complete and retroactive amnesty for crimes against humanity, as well as the change of the right to compensation to a welfare program.
In Colombia, we regret the lack of guarantees for victims and litigating organizations in the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Repetition. Threats against organizations DH Colombia, CCAJAR and CCALCP among others, attacks, intelligence actions illegal state, the persistence of paramilitary groups and the worsening of the conflict hinder access to the System.
In Honduras, it is urgent to make known the sentence against David Castillo, convicted as co-intellectual author of the murder of the defender Berta Cáceres. It is essential to continue the processes legal proceedings against the other alleged masterminds of the murder.
It is essential that the international community demand that these states comply with the Agreements of Peace, guarantee access to truth, justice and reparation, veto all amnesty for crimes of against humanity and clarify the responsibility of all intellectual authors in cases of serious violations.”