From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: El Salvador: HR group demands prosecution of military officals
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 22:36:59 GMT

/** reg.elsalvador: 125.0 **/
** Topic: IPS:CDHES Calls For **
** Written  9:32 am  Nov  1, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: IPS:CDHES Calls For

/* Written 12:11 am  Nov  1, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in
igc:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: EL SALVADOR: CDHES CALLS FOR PROSECUTION OF MILITARY
OFFICIALS

san salvador, oct 29 (ips) -- a salvadoran human rights
organisation thursday demanded the prosecution of military
officials implicated by a former soldier and ''death squad''
member extradited from the united states last week.

the demand issued by the non-governmental commission for human
rights in el salvador (cdhes) claims that cesar joya martinez, a
former member of army intelligence, should testify against
officials that commanded his unit.

since friday, joya has been held in mariona prison, 10 kilometers
north of san salvador. according to cdhes, he has not made any
declarations and is awaiting the appointment of defense council.

daniel alcorm, a u.s. lawyer who represented joya in the united
states, has asked the salvadoran government guarantee joya's
safety while in custody.

joya is scheduled to give testimony to the ''truth commission,''
an instrument created as part of the peace accords signed between
the government and the fmln guerrillas on jan. 16.

the truth commission, comprised of three non-salvadorans, is
investigating cases of human rights abuses committed during the 12
year civil war between the government and fmln.

joya, who fled el salvador in 1989, has denounced and provided
first hand testimony as to the existence of death squads within
the salvadoran military structure.

in declarations to his lawyers, joya implicated high-level
military officials, including current defense minister rene emilio
ponce, as systematic human rights abusers.

according to cdhes reports, joya himself is implicated in the
torture and assassination of two men suspected of belonging to the
fmln.

the incident occurred in july of 1989, when members of the
''atlacatl'' battalion, the first infantry brigade of army
intelligence (s-2), carried out an operation in nejapa, some 30
kilometers north of the capital.

during the operation, the atlacatl battalion captured six people,
two of whom later died as a result of torture.

both joya and salvador alcides gomez gomez were officially charged
in the case, based on testimony from several of their
subordinates. (more/ips)
----

el salvador: cdhes (2)

according to cdhes, gomez gomez was released on nov. 28, 1989,
when a judge declared there was ''insufficient evidence.''

in terms of the trial awaiting joya, el salvador's minister of
justice, rene hernandez, said the proceedings would be run just
like any other judicial process and that significant information
concerning the death squads could arise.
(end/ips/trd/so/bf/cs/eli/92)
----
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

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