Guate: Rios Montt genocide trial / 2nd day of conclusions, Prosecution wraps up

[Catherina]

4. powerful & terrible moments in survivor testimony; rapes of women, assasination of children, torture

NISGUA ‏@NISGUA_Guate 1h

- EP: You remember a group of women, brave women, who came here and talked about sexual abuses. A taboo topic in this country.

- EP: Sexual abuse isn't talked about in communities...These women told their story, they shared their story before all of GUA.

- EP closing speaks of powerful & terrible moments in survivor testimony; rapes of women, assasination of children, torture.

- EP: There was the case documented in Plan Sofia, "eliminated 2 chocolates". Chocolates=children

- EP: Against whom were these attacks perpetrated? Against the Maya Ixil group.

- "If they aren’t armed, if they aren’t a combatant, if they aren’t doing something illegal, it is their resistance being attacked."

- ( @NISGUA_Guate These words by AJR lawyer Edgar Pérez in today's #GenocideGT trial closing arguments could easily be spoken today. )

Rios Montt Trial ‏@RiosMonttTrial 53m

Our summary of the dramatic developments in the #RiosMontt trial yesterday that led us to closing arguments today.

NISGUA ‏@NISGUA_Guate 55m

- EPérez #GenocideGT closing: How do they fabricate an internal enemy?...Who was the enemy? It was the civil population.

- EPérez: Ixiles were denied using the very bathroom outside the courtroom. Racism is deeply ingrained in our country.

- EPérez: It's from the colony, the criollos, who started to foment this racism, this disharmony.

- EPérez: Military hierarchy capable of reacting. #RiosMontt said himself, "If I cant control the military, what am I doing here?"

- EPérez: How can it be that he didn't know, for the love of God? You can't deny it, you can't deny the undeniable.

- EPérez: It was also done in Rwanda. Enemies w/whom there's no discussion, no negotiation creating absolute enemies.. to later justify abuse.

Rios Montt Trial ‏@RiosMonttTrial 39m

- Perez: These enemies were absolute enemies, it was not negotiable. Does this justify the abuse?

- Perez: Did the Ixil victims die in combat? No. They were executed extra-judicially.

NISGUA ‏@NISGUA_Guate 37m

- EPérez: #RiosMontt assumed exec. branch, the military, he named supreme court… I'm not making it up. He created absolute power.

- Pérez: Can children be considered guerrilla? No. It'd be like saying any descendant of accused can be charged of same crimes.

- EPérez: In the military context, intelligence is key to the political, counterinsurgent strategy.

- EPérez: The accused are responsible of which they are accused. Each of the charges have been proven.

- EPérez: As Public Prosecutor Lopez said yesterday, we request a firm sentence. Justice without strength is tyranny.

- Perez: I'm asking that we do justice for the memory of the victims and for the history of #Guatemala"

- EPérez: All witnesses want justice & that history not be repeated. I don't want my children nor grandchildren to relive it.

Rios Montt Trial ‏@RiosMonttTrial 31m

- Perez: What the witnesses want is justice and that this dark history of Guatemala never be repeated

- Perez: The Ixiles say to us: 'they look at us as if we have no dignity, as if we were savages. But we are human beings'.