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On March 25 Gladys Monterroso, lawyer,
and university professor, was kidnapped while eating breakfast in a restaurant in Guatemala City
and held for 13 hours.
Just one day earlier her husband, the Human Rights Ombudsman, released a groundbreaking
report, The Right to Know. The report documented
evidence in the recently
discovered police archives linking
officials to human rights violations during
the 1960-1996 civil war.
Monterroso is Secretary
General of a well-known
political party, as well
as a prominent lawyer,
and university professor.
She is recognized for her dedication to the advancement
of human rights, truth, and justice in Guatemala.
While detained she was reportedly
burned with
cigarettes, beaten, and subject
to both sexual and psychological abuse. The kidnappers
demanded no ransom or
other compensation and released
Monterroso later the same day.
This violent attack
against Monterroso, reminiscent of tactics used during Guatemala's 36-year civil war, may have been intended to obstruct the search for justice for mass atrocities
committed during that war.
PLEASE
ACT NOW.
Copy and send the following letter:
Addresses:
- Attorney
General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office
Lic. José Amílcar
Velásquez Zárate
Fiscal General de la República y Jefe del Ministerio Público
8ª Avenida 10-67, Zona
1,
Antiguo Edificio
del Banco de los Trabajadores,
Ciudad de Guatemala
GUATEMALA
Fax: +502 2411 9124
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Estimado
Sr. Fiscal General
- Minister
of the Interior
Salvador Gándara
Ministro de Gobernación
6ª Avenida 13-71, Zona
1,
Ciudad de Guatemala
GUATEMALA
Fax: +502 2413 8658
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Sr. Ministro
- COPIES
TO:
- Street
Vendors' Movement
Movimiento de Comerciantes
Unidos de las calles de Coatepeque
c/o Comité de Unidad
Campesina
31 Avenida A 14-46, Zona
7, Ciudad de Plata 2
Ciudad de Guatemala
GUATEMALA
Letter:
[Your
name]
Dear Mr. Velasquez:
I am writing
to express my grave concern
over the recent kidnapping and abuse of Gladys Monterroso Velasquez, wife
of the Guatemalan Human
Rights Ombudsman Sergio Morales Alvarado. I welcome the investigation into
the kidnapping and urge you to ensure that it leads to the
identification and prosecution of all those responsible for this crime.
Gladys Monterroso is
the Secretary General of the Encuentro por Guatemala political party as well as
a renowned lawyer, notary, and university professor. She is recognized for her dedication to the advancement of human rights, truth and justice
in Guatemala.
On March 25, 2009, Monterroso was eating breakfast in a
restaurant located in the Zona 9 neighborhood of Guatemala City when
she reportedly received a phone call. When
she stepped outside the restaurant to answer
the call, three hooded
men forced her into a vehicle. After 13 hours her kidnappers informed her husband that she had been left in the Atlantida neighborhood of Zona 18 in Guatemala City. No ransom was demanded.
According to Monterroso,
while detained for thirteen hours, she was burned
with cigarettes, beaten,
and subject to both sexual and psychological
abuse by her kidnappers.
This violent attack occurred
just one day after the Ombudsman released
the first report documenting the contents of
the national police archives, which contain over 80 million documents relating
to Guatemala's 36-year
armed conflict.
Morales' report, The Right to Know, contains
information connecting the Guatemalan
National Police to atrocities committed during the war. Information from the
police archives has already led
to the apprehension of two
former police officials for alleged
links to death squads.
I am concerned
that this recent aggression against Gladys Monterroso may be linked
to the release of the report by her husband. I am also concerned that it represents
a threat to all those
human rights
defenders who are seeking
justice for past mass atrocities
in Guatemala.
I urge you to ensure
that the investigation into
the kidnapping is impartial and comprehensive and leads to
the identification and prosecution of those responsible. A successful prosecution in this emblematic case would assist in breaking the
culture of impunity associated
with violent crimes against
human rights
defenders.
Thank you for your
attention to this matter. I will
continue to closely monitor this
situation.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
THANK YOU.
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