World

El Salvadorian Court Orders Arrest Of Former President Regarding 1981 Massacre

On Saturday, an El Salvadorian court ordered the arrest of ex-president Alfredo Cristiani for an alleged cover-up related to a civil war-era massacre of some 1,000 people.

According to Alejandro Diaz, a lawyer for the victim’s family, who confirmed a court resolution, Cristiani’s provisional detention arises from an amnesty he declared after the 1981 killings as part of a personal cover-up.

The ruling, which also orders the arrest of four Cristiani deputies, was issued by a court in the city of San Francisco Gotera, which is prosecuting multiple Salvadoran military officers for the killing.

The Mozote massacre considered the largest in Latin America, occurred during the country’s civil war 1980-1992.

“We are interested in seeing that all those responsible be prosecuted”, said Diaz, including those who hampered investigators.

According to the resolution, Cristiani and the others shielded the perpetrators by advocating a law enacted in 1993 but revoked in 2016 that guaranteed absolute impunity to the authors of the massacres.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights reprimanded the Salvadoran government for its role in the deaths in 2012.

Salvadoran army units, led by the US-trained Atlacatl counterinsurgency battalion, launched an offensive in the Morazan district from December 9 to 13, 1981.

In 2017, the authorities found that at least 988 people, including 558 children, were murdered in and around El Mozote for allegedly supporting the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front.

The Salvadoran conflict killed over 75,000 people and left at least 7,000 missing.

Another judge ordered Cristiani’s arrest in March 2022 for allegedly taking part in the assassination planning of the six Catholic priests and two others.

Cristiani has refuted all allegations.

Also read: Explosion At Chinese-Funded Nickel Plant In Indonesia Claims 12 Lives

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

Yemen’s Houthis Claim Responsibility For Missile Attack On Israel

Yemen's Houthi group has claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel's Negev region, targeting…

2 hours ago

From ‘Razia Sultan’ To ‘Sarfarosh’: The Timeless Journey Of Nida Fazli, ‘Main Nida’

A special screening of the film 'Main Nida', based on the life of the renowned…

3 hours ago

Flood Alert In PoK’s Muzaffarabad After Alleged Jhelum Water Release

A flood alert was issued across Muzaffarabad on Saturday after locals reported a sudden rise…

4 hours ago

Zelensky, Trump Hold Talks In Rome Ahead Of Pope’s Funeral; Discuss Ceasefire & Peace

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Rome on Saturday ahead…

4 hours ago

Pahalgam Terror Attack: Ishan Educational Institutions Organises Protest Against Terrorism

Ishan Educational Institutions, Greater Noida, today organised a peaceful protest march condemning the recent terror…

5 hours ago

Complete Ban On Drone Flights Over Noida International Airport ‘Red Zone’

Authorities have imposed a complete ban on the operation of drones and UAVs over and…

6 hours ago