PBI-Guatemala accompanies Jennifer Harbury and FAMDEGUA at hearing in the case of Efrain Everardo Bámaca

Published by Brent Patterson on July 16, 2024July 16, 2024

PBI-Guatemala has posted:

“Today #PBI accompanies Jennifer Harbury and [the Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Guatemala – FAMDEGUA] to a deposition hearing in Jennifer’s #BámacaCase. Jennifer initiated a search for the whereabouts of her husband, guerrilla leader Efrain Everardo Bámaca, beginning with his disappearance alive in 1992.

At today’s hearing she was to give her anticipated testimony about her search and the results of her investigations to contribute to the legal process against the military who disappeared, tortured and ultimately murdered her husband.

High Risk Court Judge Claudette Dominguez suspended the hearing due to an injunction notified at the beginning of the hearing by the Public Prosecutor, about which no other party to the proceedings has been previously informed.”

Diario de Centro América reports:

“Claudette Domínguez, judge of Mayor Riego “A” has suspended the evidentiary hearing for the disappearance of guerrilla commander Efraín Bámaca Velásquez.

The American citizen and wife of Bámaca Velásquez, later 32 years old, was to testify today in said court, but an injunction filed by Salvador Eduardo Rubio Parra forced the judge to suspend the hearing.

The injunction states that it annuls the actions of the Human Rights Prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) in the Bámaca Velásquez case, and prevents further investigations.

Alejandro Axpuac, plaintiff attorney stated, “the injunction is fraudulent and illegal, it goes against the sentence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR)”.

The judge, without prior knowledge of the amparo, denied Axpuac’s request and granted five days to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for a detailed report on the amparo.”

The Guatemalan newspaper Republica further specifies: “As a result of this amparo, the Public Ministry (MP) has a period of 5 days from July 16 to inform the court of the status of the investigation of the Bámaca case.”

Beyond this, Impunity Watch comments: “It is unacceptable that the State of #Guatemala continues to deny #Justice to Jennifer Harbury for the forced disappearance of her husband Efraín Bámaca in 1992. Today Jennifer’s statement was suspended due to a malicious injunction seeking to obstruct the investigation.”

And the Washington, DC and Guatemala-based non-profit organization Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC-USA) posted:

To watch the hearing, go to the Verdad y Justicia en Guatemala Facebook page here.

For more, please see: PBI-Guatemala accompanies FAMDEGUA and Jennifer Harbury at hearing on death of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez (July 16, 2024).

Famdegua repost.

The photo above was taken not long after the disappearance of Bamaca on March 12, 1992; the photo below from today, July 16, 2024.