According to reports, on the afternoon of October 18, 2013, staff of the Attorney General’s Office of the El Salvador entered the offices of Tutela Legal (the legal aid office of the Archdiocese of San Salvador). Their motives were not clear. WOLA finds this unexplained incident concerning, given that Tutela Legal’s archives are housed in its offices.
Tutela Legal’s archives contain the only records of many cases of human rights abuses that occurred during and after the civil war. These documents are vital to historical memory, the search for justice, and for the victims, and it is of the utmost importance that they are maintained and respected. WOLA respectfully urges the Archbishop of San Salvador to ensure that the files are protected and urges the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that none of its staff act in a way that threatens the archives’ integrity.
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Contact:
Geoff Thale
WOLA Program Director
gthale@wola.org
