Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
U.S. Court Reverses $54M Verdict Against Salvadoran Generals Convicted of Torture
A 54.6 million dollar verdict against two retired Salvadoran generals accused of torture in their home country two decades ago was reversed this week by a federal appeals court which ruled that the victim's claims failed to meet a 10-year statute-of-limitations rule. We speak with one of the plaintiffs in the case who was tortured in El Salvador and one the lawyers in the suit.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on behalf of eight men who say they were tortured by U.S. forces in custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Lucas Guttentag, attorney for the ACLU describing the torture allegations.
* Michael Posner, executive director of Human Rights First.
Meanwhile, a major court ruling in another high-profile torture lawsuit was in the news this week. A 54.6 million dollar verdict against two retired Salvadoran generals accused of torture in their home country two decades ago was reversed this week by a federal appeals court.
It is the second time the two generals - who have been living in Florida since 1989 - have prevailed in cases involving human rights violations.
In November 2000, a federal jury found that José Guillermo García and Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova couldn't be held responsible for the murders of four American churchwomen who were raped and executed by Salvadoran soldiers in 1980. Jurors concluded the two men didn't have effective control over their own military at the time.
But less than two years later, another jury found the military commanders were civilly liable under the 1991 Torture Victim Protection Act in a lawsuit brought by a church worker, doctor and professor who fled to the United States after being brutalized by Salvadoran soldiers. That 54 million dollar verdict was reversed Monday when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that the victim's claims failed to meet a 10-year statute-of-limitations rule.
* Carlos Mauricio, one of the plaintiffs in the case. He was a professor at the University of El Salvador when he was detained in June 1983 and tortured for nearly two weeks at the National Police Headquarters. After coming to the United States, he obtained two Master"s degrees, in Molecular Genetics and Adult Education, from San Francisco State University, and a teaching credential. He teaches biology at Balboa High School in San Francisco.
* Carolyn Patty Blum, one of the lawyers on the case. She teaches at Columbia University Law School and is senior legal adviser at the .
LISTEN ONLINE
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/02/154213
* Lucas Guttentag, attorney for the ACLU describing the torture allegations.
* Michael Posner, executive director of Human Rights First.
Meanwhile, a major court ruling in another high-profile torture lawsuit was in the news this week. A 54.6 million dollar verdict against two retired Salvadoran generals accused of torture in their home country two decades ago was reversed this week by a federal appeals court.
It is the second time the two generals - who have been living in Florida since 1989 - have prevailed in cases involving human rights violations.
In November 2000, a federal jury found that José Guillermo García and Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova couldn't be held responsible for the murders of four American churchwomen who were raped and executed by Salvadoran soldiers in 1980. Jurors concluded the two men didn't have effective control over their own military at the time.
But less than two years later, another jury found the military commanders were civilly liable under the 1991 Torture Victim Protection Act in a lawsuit brought by a church worker, doctor and professor who fled to the United States after being brutalized by Salvadoran soldiers. That 54 million dollar verdict was reversed Monday when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that the victim's claims failed to meet a 10-year statute-of-limitations rule.
* Carlos Mauricio, one of the plaintiffs in the case. He was a professor at the University of El Salvador when he was detained in June 1983 and tortured for nearly two weeks at the National Police Headquarters. After coming to the United States, he obtained two Master"s degrees, in Molecular Genetics and Adult Education, from San Francisco State University, and a teaching credential. He teaches biology at Balboa High School in San Francisco.
* Carolyn Patty Blum, one of the lawyers on the case. She teaches at Columbia University Law School and is senior legal adviser at the .
LISTEN ONLINE
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/02/154213
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$140.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network