The Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project has posted on social media:
“Last Wednesday [September 2], #PBI accompanied @bufetedh_oficial [the Human Rights Law Firm] at the start of the trial against Dulce María Archila and Nanci Sinto, both accused of the offence of destruction of cultural property. At the hearing, the defence team for both women argued that the evidence gathered by the prosecution had been obtained unlawfully and was not conclusive; they therefore requested an acquittal for both.
The events date back to the peaceful protests on 21 November 2020, when the public demonstrated against the national budget in Congress, which was criticized for cuts to social spending and a lack of transparency in its approval. The police used tear gas to disperse the demonstration, resulting in 14 people being treated in hospital.”
Prensa Comunitaria further reports: “Esteban Celada, the lawyer for [Indigenous Maya Kaqchikel human rights defender] Nanci Sinto, pointed out that the demonstration in which his client and Dulce Archila [who was 19 years old at the time] participated, was a response to the session of Congress on November 18, 2020 when approving the nation’s budget for 2021 amid strong questioning.”
That article adds: “In the defense of Dulce Archila, lawyer Diana Méndez and lawyer Édgar Pérez of the Human Rights Law Firm participate. Méndez contextualizes the facts in which this criminalization process arises. She pointed out that in that year the country was experiencing a context of social conflict from the management of the Covid19 pandemic and the approval of the 2021 budget.”
eP Investiga also reports: “In the statement released prior to the start of the trial, the organizations that support [Indigenous activist] Sinto argue that the process is part of a broader context of criminalization against people who participate in demonstrations and express criticism of the authorities. The pronouncement indicates that the trial must be observed from guarantees such as freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration, freedom of expression, due process and the right to defense. The organizations also place the case in the context of the difficulties faced by indigenous women to participate in the public and political life of the country. In his opinion, the process raises questions about the State’s obligations in terms of equality, non-discrimination, effective political participation and access to justice.”
The trial will reportedly continue on September 16.
Accompaniment
PBI-Guatemala has accompanied Édgar Pérez Archila since August 2010 and the Human Rights Law Firms since late 2013.
Further reading: PBI-Guatemala accompanies Human Rights Law Firm at hearing for 21-year-old student accused of graffiti inside Congress building (PBI-Canada, April 5, 2023).
