Guatemala court orders release of soldiers convicted of crimes against humanity News
randreu, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Guatemala court orders release of soldiers convicted of crimes against humanity

Guatemala’s First High-Risk Appeals Chamber mandated the release of three military officers who were previously convicted of crimes against humanity Friday, directly contravening a March ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). This legal development has sparked considerable debate, raising concerns regarding potential infringements of human rights and violations of Guatemala’s international obligations.

The individuals under scrutiny are three military officers who are under investigation over their involvement in the 1981 abduction of 14-year-old Marco Antonio Molina Thiessen and the illegal detention and rape of his sister Emma Molina Theissen, both members of a left-leaning Guatemalan family. The officers, Manuel Antonio Callejas y Callejas, Francisco Luis Gordillo Martínez, and Manuel Benedicto Lucas García were convicted of crimes against humanity in 2018 and handed prison sentences ranging from 30 to 58 years. 

In March, the IACHR blocked an order from the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, which granted the officers house arrest, on the grounds that the order violated the victims’ right to access justice.

The IACHR has previously expressed concern about judicial independence in Guatemala, alleging that judges and prosecutors involved in cases against powerful individuals often become victims of intimidation and harassment. Guatemala has previously ignored 14 other IACHR rulings.

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