Guatemala: Threats Against People Dealing with Crimes of the Past

May 28, 2008 Rights Action Guatemala 0

Threats Against Members of Guatemala Exhumation Team (FAFG)(Source: FAFG)

[Since the 1990s, Rights Action has funded and supported the exhumation process in campesino and Indigenous communities throughout Guatemala and the work of the Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG). In May, Rights Action took two educational delegations to meet with the FAFG in Guatemala City, including Fredy Peccerelli and Omar Bertoni Girón.]

Below are the details of the most recent threat received by the FAFG on Thursday, May 22. The FAFG is demanding that the Guatemalan Government increase the security measures assigned to Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the FAFG, his family and all the members of the FAFG. Further, the FAFG would ask for the case to be referred to the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), as the investigations performed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) of the threats that the FAFG has been receiving since 2002 have not given any results. Please distribute this information as widely as possible.

Silke Gatermann, Technical Assistant to the Executive Director, FAFG silke.gatermann@fafg.org

The FAFG writes:

Further death threats to Fredy Peccerelli, his family and the members of the Guatemalan Foundation of Forensic Anthropology (FAFG). Following the death threat received on Monday, 19th May 2008, Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the Guatemalan Foundation of Forensic Anthropology (FAFG), and Omar Bertoni Girón, Director of the FAFG’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and married to Bianka Peccerelli, Fredy Peccerelli’s sister, received an email on the afternoon of Thursday, 22nd May 2008, with the following text:

"Greetings you bastards, how good Bianca looks in pink driving a Jeep along the Avenida Petapa, the first parcel with her parts will be arriving, we hope you’ve said good-bye, your security isn’t worth shit. We haven’t seen your family recently, the next one is Yani. We scared you, you bastards, this time you’ll respect us. Die revolutionaries, take back the charges. FAFG IN MOURNING until we finish with you all." ("Saludos malditos, que bien se mira Bianca de rosado manejando una Jeep en la Avenida Petapa, les estara llegando el primer paquete con sus partes, esperamos se hayan despedido, su seguridad a la mierda la volamos. Ya no hemos visto a tu familia el proximo es Yani. Se ahuevaron malditos esta ves nos respeteran. Mueran revolucionarios, retiren las denuncias. FAFG DE LUTO hasta que acabemos con todos."

That same afternoon, Bianka Peccerelli was driving a Jeep Cherokee and wearing a pink blouse. The previous threat had stated that she would be raped, killed and sent to the FAFG in pieces. Gianni Peccerelli is Fredy Peccerelli’s brother. The e-mail was sent from the same e-mail address as the previous threat, yax.pedro@yahoo.com, registered under the name of Pedro Yax.

Threats Against Judge in Spanish Genocide Case (Source: Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala, NISGUA)

[Since the 1990s, and in conjunction with support for the exhumation process, Rights Action has funded and supported genocide survivors and massacre witnesses from throughout Guatemala who are participating in legal trials against the guilty "intellectual authors" of the State repression and genocide. In May, Rights Action visited Mayan communities devastated by the genocide and spoke with massacre survivors who are participating in the various legal trials.]

Judge Who Heard Testimony in Spanish Genocide Case Denounces Death Threats

Judge Jose Eduardo Cojulum denounced death threats on Tuesday, May 20, after presiding over the hearings of survivors and witnesses of massacres committed by the army during the armed conflict. After receiving the testimonies of twenty people at the request of the Spanish Courts, where the genocide case is in process, the magistrate also recommended the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the facts.

Cojulum decided that sufficient evidence exists to try in Guatemala the acts described by the witnesses of the slaughters of Plan of Sanchez and Río Negro, as well as the occupation and fire in the Spanish embassy, which happened in 1981 in the capital.

The jurist sent a detailed report on the declarations received in the Criminal Court to the office of the public prosecutor and assured that if the authorities do not act they would be guilty of the crime of omission of a claim.

Nevertheless, as a result of these measures he began to receive telephone calls that warned him that he would be assassinated if he continues with the proceedings, said Cojulum.

WHAT TO DO: info@rightsaction.org, www.rightsaction.org 

WHAT IS RIGHTS ACTION?

Based in Guatemala, Rights Action (with tax-deductible legal status in Canada and USA) funds and works with community-based development, environment and human rights organizations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Chiapas); and educates about and is involved in activism related to global development, environmental and human rights struggles.

TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS for indigenous and community-based organizations that are working for justice and to end impunity, and to implement their own development, human rights and environment projects, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to: UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887; CANADA: 422 Parliament St, Box 82552, Toronto ON, M5A 4N8. CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: www.rightsaction.org.

* EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION – From July 7-12, Rights Action is leading an educational delegation to Honduras to learn about community-based resistance to the environmental and economic harms and human rights violations caused by Goldcorp Inc’s open pit, cyanide leeching mine; and, to learn about the territorial and human rights struggles of Indigenous/Garifuna peoples. If interested: info@rightsaction.org.

* 3rd SOCIAL FORUM OF THE AMERICAS – GUATEMALA, OCTOBER 7-12, 2008 – Form your own group and/ or join a Rights Action delegation to come to Guatemala around the time of the 3rd Social Forum of the Americas . Thousands of people from across the Americas are expected at this gathering to debate and discuss (and enjoy awesome music, art and theater) how Another World Is Possible … And Necessary. For more info: info@rightsaction.org.

Guatemala: Threats Against People Dealing with Crimes of the Past

May 28, 2008 Rights Action News Briefs 0

Threats Against Members of Guatemala Exhumation Team (FAFG)(Source: FAFG)

[Since the 1990s, Rights Action has funded and supported the exhumation process in campesino and Indigenous communities throughout Guatemala and the work of the Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG). In May, Rights Action took two educational delegations to meet with the FAFG in Guatemala City, including Fredy Peccerelli and Omar Bertoni Girón.]

Below are the details of the most recent threat received by the FAFG on Thursday, May 22. The FAFG is demanding that the Guatemalan Government increase the security measures assigned to Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the FAFG, his family and all the members of the FAFG. Further, the FAFG would ask for the case to be referred to the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), as the investigations performed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) of the threats that the FAFG has been receiving since 2002 have not given any results. Please distribute this information as widely as possible.

Silke Gatermann, Technical Assistant to the Executive Director, FAFG silke.gatermann@fafg.org

The FAFG writes:

Further death threats to Fredy Peccerelli, his family and the members of the Guatemalan Foundation of Forensic Anthropology (FAFG). Following the death threat received on Monday, 19th May 2008, Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the Guatemalan Foundation of Forensic Anthropology (FAFG), and Omar Bertoni Girón, Director of the FAFG’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and married to Bianka Peccerelli, Fredy Peccerelli’s sister, received an email on the afternoon of Thursday, 22nd May 2008, with the following text:

"Greetings you bastards, how good Bianca looks in pink driving a Jeep along the Avenida Petapa, the first parcel with her parts will be arriving, we hope you’ve said good-bye, your security isn’t worth shit. We haven’t seen your family recently, the next one is Yani. We scared you, you bastards, this time you’ll respect us. Die revolutionaries, take back the charges. FAFG IN MOURNING until we finish with you all." ("Saludos malditos, que bien se mira Bianca de rosado manejando una Jeep en la Avenida Petapa, les estara llegando el primer paquete con sus partes, esperamos se hayan despedido, su seguridad a la mierda la volamos. Ya no hemos visto a tu familia el proximo es Yani. Se ahuevaron malditos esta ves nos respeteran. Mueran revolucionarios, retiren las denuncias. FAFG DE LUTO hasta que acabemos con todos."

That same afternoon, Bianka Peccerelli was driving a Jeep Cherokee and wearing a pink blouse. The previous threat had stated that she would be raped, killed and sent to the FAFG in pieces. Gianni Peccerelli is Fredy Peccerelli’s brother. The e-mail was sent from the same e-mail address as the previous threat, yax.pedro@yahoo.com, registered under the name of Pedro Yax.

Threats Against Judge in Spanish Genocide Case                                        (Source: Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala, NISGUA)

[Since the 1990s, and in conjunction with support for the exhumation process, Rights Action has funded and supported genocide survivors and massacre witnesses from throughout Guatemala who are participating in legal trials against the guilty "intellectual authors" of the State repression and genocide. In May, Rights Action visited Mayan communities devastated by the genocide and spoke with massacre survivors who are participating in the various legal trials.]

Judge Who Heard Testimony in Spanish Genocide Case Denounces Death Threats

Judge Jose Eduardo Cojulum denounced death threats on Tuesday, May 20, after presiding over the hearings of survivors and witnesses of massacres committed by the army during the armed conflict. After receiving the testimonies of twenty people at the request of the Spanish Courts, where the genocide case is in process, the magistrate also recommended the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the facts.

Cojulum decided that sufficient evidence exists to try in Guatemala the acts described by the witnesses of the slaughters of Plan of Sanchez and Río Negro, as well as the occupation and fire in the Spanish embassy, which happened in 1981 in the capital.

The jurist sent a detailed report on the declarations received in the Criminal Court to the office of the public prosecutor and assured that if the authorities do not act they would be guilty of the crime of omission of a claim.

Nevertheless, as a result of these measures he began to receive telephone calls that warned him that he would be assassinated if he continues with the proceedings, said Cojulum.

WHAT TO DO: info@rightsaction.org, www.rightsaction.org 

WHAT IS RIGHTS ACTION?

Based in Guatemala, Rights Action (with tax-deductible legal status in Canada and USA) funds and works with community-based development, environment and human rights organizations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Chiapas); and educates about and is involved in activism related to global development, environmental and human rights struggles.

TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS for indigenous and community-based organizations that are working for justice and to end impunity, and to implement their own development, human rights and environment projects, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to: UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887; CANADA: 422 Parliament St, Box 82552, Toronto ON, M5A 4N8. CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: www.rightsaction.org.

* EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION – From July 7-12, Rights Action is leading an educational delegation to Honduras to learn about community-based resistance to the environmental and economic harms and human rights violations caused by Goldcorp Inc’s open pit, cyanide leeching mine; and, to learn about the territorial and human rights struggles of Indigenous/Garifuna peoples. If interested: info@rightsaction.org.

* 3rd SOCIAL FORUM OF THE AMERICAS – GUATEMALA, OCTOBER 7-12, 2008 – Form your own group and/ or join a Rights Action delegation to come to Guatemala around the time of the 3rd Social Forum of the Americas . Thousands of people from across the Americas are expected at this gathering to debate and discuss (and enjoy awesome music, art and theater) how Another World Is Possible … And Necessary. For more info: info@rightsaction.org.