Argentinean Dictatorship Cases: the German "Coalition against Impunity" to press Criminal Charges

For the first time since 1984-1985, in recognition of the 2003 Nuremberg court decision against former dictator Jorge Rafaél Videla, criminal proceedings will take place in Argentina against members of the Argentine military dictatorship for crimes including the murder of German citizen, Elisabeth Käsemann.
Of the 30,000 victims of the military regime, which reigned from 1976-1983, approximately 100 of those killed carried German passports or were of German ancestry. This issue is of special interest to Wolfgang Kaleck, General Secretary of the European Center, whose cases focus on the defense of the rights of German citizens.

An Argentinean Story: Marianela Galli testifies in the ESMA-Trial

On 28 June last year, Marianela Galli, an activist from the human rights organization H.I.J.O.S. and a plaintiff in the Esma-trial, testified before the Tribunal Oral en lo Criminal Federal N.5 of Buenos Aires about her and her family's kidnapping in 1977. Marianela, who is of German descent, was the sole member of the family to survive the abduction. She told her story in an ECCHR-video, which you can watch here or if you go on "Read more".

"Automotores Orletti": The Trial Begins

On 3 June 2010 the trial for the crimes committed in the secret detention center "Automotores Orletti", an enclave of the Plan Condor, began before the Federal Criminal Court (TOF) N.1 in the city of Buenos Aires. Five former members of the Army and the Secret Services stand accused of illegal deprivation of freedom, torture and the homicide of 65 victims. According to the Calendar of the Court, the reading of the indictment lasted until 17 June 2010. This is followed by the testimonies of the defendants. The victims and witnesses will begin testifying on 8 July 2010.

Former Argentinean President sentenced to 25 Years’ Imprisonment

After months of hearings and hundreds of witness statements, Reynaldo Benito Bignone, who was President Argentina during the final phase of the military dictatorship (1982-1983), was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on 20. April 2010. Bignone was charged with torture as a crime against humanity for offences carried out in the torture centre Campo de Mayo. The federal court in San Martin, Argentina has also sentenced five further high ranking officials from dictatorship to imprisonment. The ECCHR has previously reported on the trials.

Legal Opinion: Banks supported Crimes committed during the Argentinean Dictatorship

During its reign (1976-1983), the Argentinean Military Junta sought and received financial support from international banks. As such, the banks supported the regime and its repressive policies. Human rights organizations have presented a legal opinion in a case before the Federal Court Nr 7 in Buenos Aires. This concludes that international banks, by awarding financial credit to the Military Junta, contributed substantially to human rights abuses. ECCHR-General Secretary Wolfgang Kaleck spoke at the conference "Financing Gross Human Rights Violations: International Banks, Complicity and the case of Argentina", about the participation of civil and economic actors in the crimes of the dictatorship.

Commencement of Trial in the Case of Elisabeth Käsemann

Having previously been deferred several times, the trial concerning eight former military officials and their involvement in the secret torture centre "El Vesubio" began on 26 February 2010 before the 4^th Federal Court in Buenos Aires. Those accused are charged with human rights abuses concerning 157 victims, and the spoken trial is expected to last for several months. Among the cases to be heard is the murder of German citizen Elisabeth Käsemann on 23-24 May 1977. The Federal Republic of Germany has joined the trial as plaintiff and has entered the proceedings with its own attorney.

German Arrest Warrant issued for Ex-Dictator Videla

On 15 December 2009, the District Court in Nuremberg issued another warrant for the arrest of Jorge Rafael Videla, the former head of the military junta that ruled Argentina between 1976 and 1983. The warrant was issued in response to Videla's participation in the murder of Rolf Stawowiok, a German citizen. The criminal complaint was filed in May 2001 by Wolfgang Kaleck on behalf of the Coalition against Impunity. In January 2010 proceedings were temporarily suspended by the Prosecutor's Office in Nuremberg-Fürth due to the absence of the accused.

ECCHR files Legal Opinion in the Case of Missing Union Workers of Mercedes Benz Argentina

ECCHR supports victims of political violence under the Argentinean military dictatorship that have pressed criminal charges in Argentina. On 12 November 2009 ECCHR Berlin filed a legal opinion as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) with an Argentinian court of the province San Martín.
In this legal opinion ECCHR points out that the Argentinean government is obliged to investigate the responsibility of corporate actors in connection with the human rights violations of the military dictatorship. It furthermore demonstrates that since the progeny trials of the Nuremberg War Crime Trials investigating the role of economic actors is part of dealing with state crime.

Amicus Curiae Brief (Spanish) (332.4 kB)

Article in Página 12 (Spanish)

On-Going Trials in Argentina: Campo de Mayo

Campo de Mayo was a military area 30km outside Buenos Aires. Between 1976 and 1980 it was divided into four different secret detention and torture centers: El Campito, La Casita, La Prisión Militar de Encausados and El Hospital Militar. The area was under the control and command of the Command of Military Institutes ("Comando de Institutos Militares"), which was led by the four Generals Santiago Omar Riveros, José Montes, Cristino Nicolaides and Reynaldo Bignone at this time.

On-Going Trials in Argentina: Primer Cuerpo del Ejèrcito

The First Army Corps Case, "Primer Cuerpo del Ejército" (no. 14.216/2003), concerns violations of human rights such as torture, murder, deprivation of liberty and kidnapping. Members of the First Army Corps committed these crimes in Buenos Aires and the region of La Pampa, Argentina, from 1976 to 1983.

On-Going Trials in Argentina: ESMA

The major case ("mega causa" - Case 14.217/203) concerns crimes committed in the center of detention and torture based in the Escuela Mecánica de la Armada (E.S.M.A.) between 24 March 1976 and 10 December 1983. The oral hearings opened on 11 December 2009 before the Federal Court No. 5 (Tribunal Oral Federal nº5) in Buenos Aires.

Argentinean Videos: the Dictatorship Cases

REPORTS AND INTERVIEWS

As of December 2009, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) monitors the current trials of former military officials in Argentinean federal courts. The defendants are charged with severe human rights violations committed from 1976 to 1983 under the military dictatorship.
ECCHR General Secretary Wolfgang Kaleck, spokesperson and lawyer for the 1998 founded German "Coalition Against Impunity: Truth and Justice for the German disappeared in Argentina", has been travelling with Berlin filmmaker Alexandra Weltz (Parkafilm) to Buenos Aires to report back in a Video Blog.
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