June 21, 2022
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FAMDEGUA
Asociación Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos de Guatemala
Association of Relatives of the Disappeared-Detained in Guatemala
“El Derecho a la vida, es la base de todo derecho”
June 17, 2022
Grahame Russell
Rights Action
Dear Rights Action,
Receive a cordial greeting from the Association of Relatives of the Detained-Disappeared of Guatemala, (Asociación Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos de Guatemala, FAMDEGUA), hoping that all your activities are successful.
We would like to thank you for the support that we have received from you and your organization consistently, in these years of searching for our detained and disappeared relatives, as well as in the struggle for justice, and the non-repetition of human rights violations committed by the State of Guatemala during the Internal Armed Conflict against the Guatemalan population.
Diario Militar (Military Diary) case
Most recently, this support has helped us to strengthen our organization and specially to provide support to family members, survivors, and victims in the Diario Militar (Military Diary) case.
Family members and survivors of the Military Diary case in Guatemala are grateful for your continued support and accompaniment throughout the process of bringing before to Guatemalan courts, military and police officials responsible for forced disappearances and crimes against humanity between 1983 and 1985.
During these past few intense months, there have been over 75 sessions in the High-Risk Tribunal “B” presided over by Judge Miguel Angel Gálvez. After the first evidentiary phase of the trial, the court resolved the following: (1) nine of the accused will be tried by a high-risk tribunal composed of three independent judges; (2) the individual plaintiffs and organization (FAMDEGUA) are permitted to continue as official complainants (“querrellantes”).
The evidentiary phase for four of the nine accused will begin in July 2022, while one army official is undergoing a special legal process due to health concerns, and three of those charged are still fugitive.
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Thanks to your economic and political support, survivors and plaintiffs in this case are developing – along with FAMDEGUA – a strategy towards healing in the aftermath of State terrorism and strengthening families of the disappeared through psycho-social workshops, through the application of the Istanbul Protocol for survivors of torture, and by providing legal proceeding workshops and facilitating long overdue family reunions.
Most of all, your contributions have supported us to create a solid legal case, with expert testimony reports from renowned professionals such as Marc Drouin, Kate Doyle, and Dr. Jorge de la Peña.
Overall, the Military Diary case now has over 7,200 items of evidence, 25 expert reports, and more than 100 witnesses, 30 of whom are currently in exile.
The public hearings are being streamed through our social media networks, and press releases, with summarized highlights, can be found on Facebook (@CasoDiarioM, @FAMDEGUAG, and @VerdadyjusticiaenGuatemala), and on Twitter (@VerdadJusticiaG), as well as at the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network's blog.
At this moment, there are some important witnesses in Canada who are in a precarious emotional situation, requiring professional support. We need to get them appropriate support and mobilize people capable of providing that support.
Therefore, we are again seeking funds to cover costs of preparing the legal strategy for the trial and to provide support for and prepare surviving key witnesses.
Please see the attached budget in US dollars. [Rights Action can provide this budget to foundations and institutional donors, or put them in direct contact with FAMDEGUA]
We again appreciate the support provided and hope that it can continue, as it is of vital importance to strengthen the work in the legal cases that we represent before the Guatemalan Justice System.
With your solidarity you are taking part in this historic process for transitional justice in Guatemala. Any donation you could provide us is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Manuel Antonio Farfán
President of the Board of Directors and Legal Representative of FAMDEGUA
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Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To support FAMDEGUA, make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
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