Weaving Justice with the 36 Maya Achi Women
Day 5: Rancho Bejuco Trial – Testimonies Speak to Genocidal Violence, Role of Parallel Forces
The court buildings where hearings are taking place. Photo credit: Lenora June 15, 2023 Written by Lenora A Pattern of Genocidal Violence Four witnesses shared recorded testimonies today. While the sound was not [...]
Day 4: Rancho Bejuco Trial – Survivors Continue to Share Painful Testimony
June 14, 2023 Written by Lenora [Content warning: Survivor testimony contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of the aftermath of the massacre.] Three more witnesses from Rabinal gave testimonies today. Three Witnesses Remember the Family Members [...]
Day 3: Rancho Bejuco Trial – Survivors, Expert Witnesses Speak
June 13, 2023 Written by Lenora [Content warning: Survivor testimony contains graphic descriptions of the aftermath of the massacre.] Today witnesses for the prosecution continued to provide testimony in the Rancho Bejuco case. As a [...]
Day 2: Rancho Bejuco Trial – Prosecution’s Expert Witnesses Testify
Monday, June 12, 2023 Written by María Photos of the victims from the massacre of Rancho Bejuco posted on the wall surrounding the cemetery in Rabinal, BV. (Photo Credits: Verdad y Justicia) First [...]
Day 1: Rancho Bejuco Massacre Trial Opens
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Written by Lisa A monument at the Rabinal cemetery honors the Rancho Bejuco massacre victims. Photo credit: Lisa Rankin Today, the High Risk Court D's three judge panel opened [...]
Annual Commemoration to Honour Victims of Rio Negro Massacre
Altar honouring the 177 victims of the March 13th, 1982 massacre at Pak’oxom in Rio Negro (photo credit: ADIVIMA) Sabrina Jeria, a cooperant at the Rabinal Community Legal Clinic, shares her reflections following [...]
The Importance of the Ruling in the 36 Maya Achi Women’s Case
Written by María Reyes The Maya Achi Women Survivors waiting to enter the court room on the day the verdict is to be read On January 24, 2022, the High Risk Court "A" [...]
In the Search for Justice,
36 Maya Achi Women from the areas surrounding Rabinal, Baja Verapaz bravely broke the silence concerning crimes of sexual violence they experienced during the Internal Armed Conflict. Supported by the Rabinal Legal Clinic (ABJPR), testimonies for this case were first collected in 2011, after evidence from a case before the Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) revealed possible crimes of sexual violence.
First arrests were made in 2018, however, several ex-civil-patrollers remained fugitives from justice until 2021. In January of 2022, 5 of the original 10 men accused will stand trial in the Criminal Sentencing Court for High-Risk Proceedings “A” presided by judge Yassmin Barrios.
Consult the blog updates to the left for updates on the case.