Fwd: Salvadoran bishop orders closure of legal aid office - which has fought for historical truth and accountability for decades - will you sign protest letter
Fabiano Angélico
De: "Sandra Coliver" <sandra....@opensocietyfoundations.org>
Data: 05/10/2013 00:17
Assunto: Salvadoran bishop orders closure of legal aid office - which has fought for historical truth and accountability for decades - will you sign protest letter
Para: "(ali...@opendemocracy.org.za)" <ali...@opendemocracy.org.za>, "Mukelani Dimba gmail (mukelan...@gmail.com)" <mukelan...@gmail.com>, "venkatesh nayak" <nayak.v...@gmail.com>, "lucia...@conectas.org" <lucia...@conectas.org>, "juana....@conectas.org" <juana....@conectas.org>, "Maja Daruwala" <maja.d...@gmail.com>, "Shailesh Gandhi (shail...@gmail.com)" <shail...@gmail.com>, "Geoff Budlender (gbudl...@law.co.za)" <gbudl...@law.co.za>, "William Kerfoot (wil...@lrc.org.za)" <wil...@lrc.org.za>, "Hennie van Vuuren (hennie...@gmail.com)" <hennie...@gmail.com>, "Jonathan Klaaren (jonathan...@wits.ac.za)" <jonathan...@wits.ac.za>, "sandy....@up.ac.za" <sandy....@up.ac.za>, "(Frans....@up.ac.za)" <Frans....@up.ac.za>, "Fabiano Angélico" <fabiano...@yahoo.com.br>
Cc: "Emi MacLean" <emi.m...@opensocietyfoundations.org>, "Patty Blum (cpb...@law.berkeley.edu)" <cpb...@law.berkeley.edu>, "tk...@stanford.edu" <tk...@stanford.edu>, "Greg Michener" <r...@gregmichener.com>, "Camila Asano" <camila...@conectas.org>, "Paula Martins" <Pa...@article19.org>
Dear Colleagues in Brazil, India and South Africa:
Below is an urgent request from groups in El Salvador to join their protest against a decision by the bishop to close the Archdiocese’ human rights legal aid office. This office has worked for historical truth and accountability since it was founded by Archbishop Romero in 1977.
They would be thrilled to have endorsements from South Africa, India and Brazil – that are seen as among the world’s leaders in the calls for historical truth and right to information.
A letter (in Spanish, below) with signatures will be published as a full page ad this Monday, Oct 7, in one of El Salvador’s main papers.
Please, if you read this email in time, let me and those on the “cc” line know if you agree to have your name added to the list. And please give you title, since Patty and Terry, who are helping the organizers, don’t know your titles (and I may be off line).
Also, please forward to others who might be interested to sign, especially academics, lawyers, and others involved in defending access to information and human rights as an essential part of democracy.
THANKS TREMENDOUSLY, Sandy
More info is below:
The Archbishop of El Salvador, Monseñor Escobar Alas, suddenly closed Tutela Legal, the human rights organization begun under the auspices of Archbishop Oscar Romero. Tutela Legal has been a model of human rights data collection and the provision of services to the poor since its formation at the beginning of El Salvador's civil war.
Terry Karl, an expert witness in several anti-impunity trials, has used Tutela's data in every single court victory against human rights abusers from El Salvador, including the recent court decision to send to prison Colonel Inocente Orlando Montano, who is now facing extradition to Spain and criminal charges in the UCA massacre of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter.
The timing of this closing is especially worrisome: it appears to be a response to the growing campaign, internally and internationally, to end impunity in El Salvador. Given the recent challenges to impunity -- the Amnesty Law is now in El Salvador's Supreme Court, Tutela Legal has filed the El Mozote massacre case, and the UCA/Jesuit case in Spain is closer on the horizons -- we expect more actions of this sort in the future. It is urgent to protect Tutela's personnel and archives and guarantee free access to this information for both legal and historical reasons. It is also urgent to protect other organizations that are challenging impunity and will face increasing pressure.
Below is the text (in Spanish) of an OPEN LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP. This will be a full-page ad in La Prensa Grafica in San Salvador on MONDAY. (I will send translation to anyone who wants to see it in English). Other ads are planned for the Catholic Reporter and America (the Jesuit magazine).
The organizers are especially seeking signatures from academics, lawyers, and others involved in defending access to information and human rights as an essential part of democracy.
Carta Abierta al Arzobispo de San Salvador Monseñor José Luis Escobar Alas
Estimado Monseñor Escobar Alas:
Los abajo firmantes, entre los que se cuentan académicos salvadoreños y extranjeros, profesionales del derecho, abogados y en general personas con gran interés en el futuro de El Salvador, expresamos nuestra consternación ante la decisión de proceder al cierre de la oficina de Tutela Legal, uno de los más importantes legados que dejó Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
Leímos con interés y esperanza el Comunicado de la Arquidiócesis del 2 de octubre que anuncia la creación de un “Centro de Documentación y Archivos” y una comisión Ad Hoc para concebir un nuevo organismo dedicado a la defensa de los derechos humanos.
Como profesionales que dependen del acceso libre a datos confiables, nos permitimos sugerir que con el fin de restaurar la confianza en el compromiso de la Arquidiócesis de modernizar las funciones de Tutela Legal y para su total efectividad sería necesario:
· Asegurarse de que la adaptación del nuevo organismo a las exigencias de la posguerra no implique el abandono del personal y de las metas originales de Tutela Legal.
· Que el nuevo organismo y el Centro de Documentación y Archivos tengan estructuras institucionales transparentes y abiertas que garanticen la confianza de la comunidad defensora de derechos humanos, académicos, abogados y el público en general.
· Que el personal de la comisión Ad Hoc y del Centro de Documentación y Archivos incluya profesionales con experiencia y con sólida formación legal, perspectiva histórica y conocimiento de estadística.
· Que el nuevo organismo reitere el compromiso de luchar contra la impunidad y la voluntad de ser, en su diseño y en sus prácticas, una institución ejemplar para el avance de una cultura realmente democrática en El Salvador.
Por último, expresamos nuestra admiración y agradecimiento al equipo de Tutela Legal que durante tantos años trabajó incansablemente para extender apoyo legal a miles de salvadoreños de pocos recursos. Nos resulta difícil encontrar justificación moral y legal para el trato que recibieron en su último día de trabajo. Esperamos que ellas y ellos constituirán el núcleo de la estructura que resulte de este proceso.
Respetuosamente,