PBI-Guatemala accompanies Human Rights Law Firm at hearing related to the ongoing CREOMPAZ/Military Zone 21 case

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PBI-Guatemala has posted:

On Monday [October 28], #PBI accompanies the Human Rights Law Firm at the Public Hearing requested by the lawyer Moisés Galindo, who defends Officer Carlos Augusto Garavito Morán, accused of crimes of forced disappearance and duties of humanity in the #CREOMPAZ case. It should be noted that the previous week the hearing had to be postponed due to the employment relationship of one of the judges with the defence.

On this occasion, an extraordinary court heard the arguments of the plaintiff, the MP and defence lawyers in relation to an injunction presented by lawyer Galindo, which questioned the competence and jurisdiction of the judge who is currently handling the CREOMPAZ case. This would mean that the process would return to the criminal court in Cobán, Alta Verapaz. The plaintiff pointed out that there was malicious litigation, given that the lawyer had filed legal actions in different courtrooms.

The court is due to notify the parties whether or not it declares the amparo to be admissible in the next few days.

The International Justice Monitor has previously explained: “Carlos Augusto Garavito Morán, second commander of MZ21 [Military Zone 21] between September 1, 1983 and January 31, 1984 … will be tried for the enforced disappearance of Miguel Tec Pop and Pedro Sub.”

Background

The Indigenous Q’eqchi’ community of Chicoyogüito was violently displaced from their ancestral lands so that an army base – then known as Military Zone 21 – could be established in the department of Alta Verapaz. More than 200 families were displaced from those lands on July 28, 1968, by the military.

After the displacement of the community, the military base became a clandestine centre for illegal detention, torture, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearance, and rape committed from 1978 to 1990.

At least 565 Indigenous people were disappeared at that base. The bodies identified are of Mayan Achí, Q’eqchi’, Pomochí, Ixil, and Kiché peoples.

The military base is considered the largest clandestine cemetery in Latin America.

The military base that displaced his community was rebranded in 2004 as Creompaz, a training base for UN peacekeepers funded by Canada and other countries.

Dawn Paley has written: “Regardless of the mass graves at the base, military and police training continues there, supported by countries like the US and Canada.” The support from Canada has included a CAD$250,000 grant in 2009 and the purchase of specialized equipment in 2014 for a training program at Creompaz.

Photo: CREOMPAZ, March 20, 2021.

At the bottom of this website (dated 2022), the Peace Operations Training Institute that partners with CREOMPAZ “to provide e-learning on peacekeeping courses” thanks Global Affairs Canada’s Peace and Stabilization Operations Programme for their funding.

PBI-Guatemala has accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm (El Bufete Jurídico de Derechos Humanos/BDH) since 2013. PBI-Guatemala also previously accompanied the Chicoyogüito Neighborhood Association of Alta Verapaz (AVECHAV), the community displaced by this military base.

“This land is ours”


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