A CALL FOR RESTRAINT

Guatemala, April 18, 2013. The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) has observed from afar the proceedings underway against General Efraín Ríos Montt, who is charged with genocide. The court hearing the case is the sole actor responsible for deciding whether the crime was committed or not and whether the accused is innocent or guilty. The judges must rule free of threats—judicial independence is a human right—in the case involving the aforementioned individual as well as those who feel aggrieved and bring their demands for punishment before the justice system.

Therefore, CICIG is concerned by the campaign of paid announcements, supplements and audiovisual statements—all of which have the aim of influencing the court's decision and achieving an acquittal.

The paid announcement titled "Traicionar la paz y dividir a Guatemala" [Betray peace and divide Guatemala] (el Periódico newspaper, April 16, 2013) draws particular attention as it is a manifestation of support for said campaign on the part of individuals who previously flied the flag for human rights and were trusted by the international community, such as Eduardo Stein, Gustavo Porras, Raquel Zelaya and Adrián Zapata.

With their endorsements, they warn of the "imminent danger of renewed political violence" if a conviction were to be "handed down". This is an unjustifiable threat directed at the court.

In light of the situation, CICIG calls for restraint. The proceedings should progress without any encroachment upon the independence of judges. In addition, only a posteriori, if any errors of substantive or procedural law were to be established, may the parties challenge the ruling and lodge an appeal before higher courts, as set forth by the law.

Peace is built on a daily basis using the only means possible: justice.