Trial for 1982 Murder of Dutch Journalists to Begin in El Salvador

A trial for the murder of four Dutch journalists during the Salvadoran civil war will begin on April 23, 2025. Former Defense Minister General José Guillermo García and two other military officials face charges related to the case. This historic trial follows a UN Truth Commission’s conclusion that their deaths resulted from a planned military ambush.

The trial against former Salvadoran Defense Minister, General José Guillermo García, and two colonels for the murders of four Dutch journalists in 1982 is set to commence on April 23, 2025. The murdered journalists—Jan Cornelius Kuiper Joop, Koos Jacobus Andries Koster, Hans Lodewijk ter Laag, and Johannes Jan Willemsen—were killed in a military ambush while documenting the Salvadoran civil war on March 17, 1982, in Chalatenango.
The phase described as a “historic trial” could last up to one week, according to statements from the Salvadoran Association for Human Rights and the Comunicándonos Foundation, which act as plaintiffs in the case. Currently, two of the defendants are under arrest in a private hospital in San Salvador; García is 91 years old, while Colonel Francisco Antonio Morán, aged 93, is also imprisoned.
The third defendant, 85-year-old Mario Reyes Mena, a former commander of the Fourth Infantry Brigade, currently resides in the United States. The Salvadoran Supreme Court recently approved his extradition. This final hearing, initiated in 2018, will evaluate evidence and lead to a ruling. The Court of First Instance in Dulce Nombre de María will conduct the hearing; Colonel Reyes’s absence is permissible.
In 1993, a UN-created Truth Commission concluded that the deaths resulted from a premeditated ambush orchestrated by Colonel Reyes, with other military officials being aware of the plan. This trial aims to address historical injustices linked to the Salvadoran civil war and hold accountable those responsible for atrocities committed during that period.

The upcoming trial marks a significant step in addressing historical war crimes in El Salvador, focusing on the accountability of military leaders for the murder of four Dutch journalists. The process underscores the prolonged pursuit of justice, particularly in cases arising from the Salvadoran civil war. The trial’s findings and outcomes may also provide closure for the victims’ families, as well as a broader recognition of human rights violations during the war.

Original Source: ticotimes.net