Memory and Justice. The legacy of Monsignor Gerardi continues in the hearts of his people

On April 26th, relatives of victims disappeared during the Internal Armed Conflict, honor the legacy of Monsignor Juan José Geradi Conedera. 25 years after his murder,  his voice is still alive among the People, called to continue the struggles to vindicate memory, truth and justice in Guatemala. We [...]

2023-05-04T17:43:18+00:00May 4th, 2023|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Accompanier perspectives: How do we struggle in these times?

Claire (they/them), former NISGUA Internacionalista, wrote this update during their time as a volunteer with NISGUA. Dear NISGUA family, Almost exactly one year after leaving staff, I’m honored to come back for a month as an accompanier. Frankly, it's a disturbing political scene to return to. You [...]

Genocide Never again Coalition Statement: Past Impunity is Present impunity

PAST IMPUNITY IS PRESENT IMPUNITY 43 years after the massacre committed at the Spanish Embassy, the undersigned organizations, members of the No More Genocide Coalition, which brings together organizations of relatives of victims, victims themselves of the direct repression committed by the Guatemalan Army in our communities against the [...]

2023-02-08T23:32:51+00:00February 7th, 2023|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Building the case: Military Intelligence is a key component in carrying out acts of genocide

Today, the trial against former Head of Military Intelligence José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez is expected to reach a verdict.  As a key player under Efraín Ríos Montt’s 1982-1983 dictatorship in Guatemala, Rodríguez Sánchez stands accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Ixil people. Over the past year, [...]

2018-09-26T11:26:33+00:00September 25th, 2018|Genocide Trial|

New NISGUA report: 18 years seeking justice in the courts

Next week, a verdict is expected in the retrial of José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, former head of military intelligence under General José Efraín Ríos Montt’s 1982-1983 dictatorship in Guatemala. Rodríguez Sánchez faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for the particular role he played in classifying the entire [...]

2019-12-27T17:52:33+00:00September 21st, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

“Any presumption of his innocence has crumbled. I ask the courts to find Rodríguez Sánchez guilty of genocide.” – Edgar Pérez

"We're motivated to come here - come and listen, to see whether or not there will be justice in Guatemala." Today, the genocide retrial against former head of military intelligence José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez moved into powerful closing arguments, where plaintiffs synthesized key points in the [...]

2019-12-27T17:52:49+00:00September 7th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

“We will not tire of speaking the truth” – Statement by Ixil genocide survivors as retrial hearings wrap up in Nebaj

"Let's respect the word of the people." Original statement in Spanish below. The Ixil genocide case retrial was moved to Santa María Nebaj for this week, following plaintiffs’ request for the judges to hear testimony in the region against former de facto dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt and former [...]

2019-12-27T17:53:31+00:00February 9th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Ixil survivors remain committed to search for justice, as trial moves to Nebaj

The Ixil genocide case retrial was moved to Santa María Nebaj for this week, following plaintiffs' request for the judges to hear testimony in the region against former de facto dictator Ríos Montt and former head of military intelligence, José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez. Antonio Caba Caba, a survivor and [...]

2019-12-27T17:53:41+00:00February 9th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

On 21st anniversary of Guatemalan Peace Accords signing, AJR says State still owes survivors justice

In the midst of the ongoing genocide retrial of José Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), and the Human Rights Law Firm (BDH) published a press release in the Guatemalan newspaper, El Periódico, to mark [...]

2019-12-27T17:11:21+00:00December 28th, 2017|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Survivors share their reflections as Ríos Montt is tried for genocide…again

On October 13, the Ixil genocide trial is set to open once again against former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez, former head of military intelligence, in the second attempt to retry the case after the 2013 trial, verdict, and sentence convicting Ríos Montt of genocide. While [...]

2017-12-08T20:36:19+00:00October 12th, 2017|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

CALDH reports from the closed-door retrial of Ríos Montt

The following are translations from the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), plaintiff in the genocide case against former dictator Ríos Montt and his Head of Military Intelligence, Rodríguez Sánchez. CALDH and the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) are currently participating in the closed-door retrial of Ríos [...]

2019-12-27T17:54:26+00:00May 11th, 2016|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Tribunal hears testimonies of massacres in Nebaj, Quiché

The following is a translation of reports from the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), one of the plaintiff organizations in the genocide case against former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and his former head of military intelligence, José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez. While witnesses and plaintiff organizations continue to uphold the validity [...]

2020-01-01T21:26:35+00:00April 19th, 2016|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Survivors call into question INACIF report claiming Ríos Montt too sick to stand trial

On Tuesday, Guatemala's National Forensic Science Institute (INACIF) published a report stating that former general Efraín Ríos Montt is mentally unfit to stand trial. The report was requested by Judge Carol Patricia Flores, the same judge who attempted to annul the genocide trial proceedings on April 18, 2013. The [...]

2019-12-27T17:54:46+00:00July 9th, 2015|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Interview with members of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation on the genocide retrial and suspension of proceedings

NISGUA sat down with several members of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) to ask them how they feel about the genocide retrial and the events of January 5th, when lead Judge Jeannette Valdés was recused from hearing the case and the retrial was suspended. The departure of [...]

2019-12-27T17:54:58+00:00January 9th, 2015|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

A solidarity message to the Association for Justice and Reconciliation as the genocide case goes to retrial

January 5, 2015 Dear members of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), During this moment in which the Guatemala justice system is retrying the case against Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez, we here at NISGUA want to acknowledge this long process in search of justice and particularly [...]

2019-12-27T17:55:26+00:00January 5th, 2015|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Genocide survivors respond to congressional resolution to deny genocide

"We are thousands of Guatemalan victims of grave human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict. The only thing we ask for is justice."  - Communique from survivors in response to congressional resolution to deny genocide Genocide survivors gather in front of the Congress of the Republic. On [...]

2019-12-27T17:56:08+00:00May 19th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Worldwide Day of Action: Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Genocide Sentence

On May 10, supporters, scholars and students from over a dozen countries celebrated the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence. The worldwide day of action brought together communities to support the survivors' decades-long struggle for truth and justice in Guatemala. People across the world read the sentence aloud, participated commemorative events [...]

2019-12-27T17:56:32+00:00May 15th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Worldwide action for the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence

“We must raise awareness [so] that these kinds of events are never repeated, because the people of Guatemala want to live in peace, acknowledging our identity, our rich multicultural, multilingual [heritage] and the respect for the freedom of expression of our ideas.”  -Genocide sentence (page 89 in English translation) [...]

2019-12-27T17:56:46+00:00May 5th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Guatemalan organization express their solidarity with Yassmín Barrios

  OUR SUPPORT FOR THE DIGNITY AND PROFESSIONALISM of HONORABLE JUDGE YASSMÍN BARRIOS To the people of Guatemala and to the international community, we express our total indignation of the decision emitted by the ethics tribunal of the Guatemalan Bar Association that attempts to penalize Judge Yassmín Barrios Aguilar. [...]

2019-12-27T18:26:22+00:00April 9th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Interview with Judge Yassmín Barrios: “The door to impunity and corruption is being opened”

Interview originally published by El Periódico in Spanish. Translation by NISGUA. Judge Yassmín Barrios Photo: El Periódico   Judge Iris Yassmín Barrios, presiding judge of the High Risk Crimes Court A, refers to the decision handed down against her last week by the Ethics Tribunal of the Guatemalan Bar Association (CANG [...]

2019-12-27T19:02:30+00:00April 8th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Guatemala’s Constitutional Court set to hear arguments regarding fate of genocide trial

This morning, the Constitutional Court (CC), Guatemala’s highest court, will hear arguments regarding the April 2013 decision by Judge Carol Patricia Flores to set the genocide case back to a pre-trial phase. The mid-trial ruling cited technical errors in the judicial process and stated that the case should return [...]

2019-12-27T17:56:59+00:00March 26th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|

Guatemala commemorates victims and 15 year anniversary of truth commission

February 25 marks the annual Day of Dignity for Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict in Guatemala. In addition, 15 years ago to the day, the UN-sponsored Historical Clarification Commission presented its "Guatemala: Memory of Silence" report. Twelve volumes in total, the report provides findings from a detailed investigation [...]

2019-12-27T17:57:12+00:00February 27th, 2014|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
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