A Test of Justice:
Final LCHR Report on the Murder of Myrna Mack Chang Released
Today
The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights today issued its final report
on the trial of three Guatemalan military officers accused of the
1990 murder of anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang. The report, titled
“A Test of Justice in Guatemala: The Myrna Mack Murder Trial”
was written by Lawyers Committee staff and consultants who have been
closely following developments in the case for the past 12 years,
and who attended the trial of the three military officers in Guatemala
City in September 2002.
A Test of Justice assesses the extent to which justice
was done in the 2002 trial of General Edgar Augusto Godoy Gaitán,
Colonel Juan Valencia Osorio, and Colonel Juan Guillermo Oliva Carrera.
It summarizes the legal history of the case and the nature of Guatemalan
criminal trials, recounts risks facing those pursuing justice for
rights violations, chronicles the often surprising developments
in the trial itself, and paints a vivid picture of the atmosphere
inside and outside the courtroom in a case that dominated national
headlines and attracted extensive international attention. It analyzes
the verdict, and sets out recommendations for ensuring that justice
is done in this case and others like it. It also shows that the
pursuit of justice in Guatemala is an uphill battle and still extracts
an unacceptably high cost.
“This report provides a detailed account of both the Guatemalan
criminal trial process and the particular circumstances of the Mack
case,” said Neil Hicks, who directed the production of A
Test of Justice. “It is an invaluable resource to anyone
interested in this groundbreaking case and the struggle to achieve
accountability for serious human rights violations committed during
Guatemala’s civil war.”
Read
the full report
Those interested in receiving a hard copy should contact Kristin
Flood (FloodK@lchr.org,
+1 212 845 5298).
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