MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas war veterans appeal abuses case to Inter American Human Rights Commission

The case before IHRC alleges 'denial of justice' following on Argentina's Supreme Court refusal to take the case because of time limit expiration

Malvinas war veterans have taken their Human rights abuse case against Argentine officers to the Inter American Human Rights Commission, IHRC, following on Argentina's Supreme Court decision rejecting the case because of time limit.

 The 'denial of justice' presentation by the Malvinas former combatants center, Cecim was taken to the IHRC, which depends from the Organization of American States and specifically protects human rights.

“The case was sent to the IHRC, because the Supreme Court is exposing Argentina to non compliance of international treaties the country has signed for the protection of human rights”, said Ernesto Alonso, Cecim chairman for Institutional Relations and member of Malvinas Former Combatants National Committee.

On Tuesday Argentina's Supreme Court threw out a revocation appeal sponsored by Cecim for the abuses committed by Argentine officers against common soldiers during the Malvinas conflict, requesting they be considered crimes against humanity.

The Court's resolution signed by three members Chief Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti and Justices Juan Carlos Maqueda and Elena Highton de Nolasco pointed out that the Court “is impeded from addressing the core question” and ratified a February sentence from the Federal Cassation Court which sentenced the appeal had prescribed because of time limit for its presentation.

“The Supreme Court is far distanced from the interests and wishes of our community that has the need to advance on the claim that Malvinas veterans have with Argentine Justice: we're talking of torture by Argentine officers against Argentine soldiers during the Malvinas conflict”, said Alonso.

The case was started back in 2007 when the first abuses claims were presented before the Federal court in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego and two years later Federal Judge Lilian Herraez considered the torture and abuses suffered by soldiers from their officers, 'crimes against humanity'.

In the presentation before the IHRC the former combatants warned that “if there's not a reversion of the current situation, hundreds of cases will systematically be presented before the Committee, which have already been presented or will be presented before Argentine courts”, once Malvinas war secret archives are declassified.

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez last 2 April, on the 33rd. anniversary of the Falklands/Malvinas invasion by Argentine military forces announced that all the documentation in the hands of the State relative to the conflict would be declassified.

According to Argentina's Defense minister Agustín Rossi, the opening of the war secrets to the public will take place next Monday 18 May, which most probably will be implemented through the site www.archivosabiertos.com, where military Junta secret resolutions have already been aired.

Allegedly the documents to be released belonging to the three forces include the so called “reception acts” that returning soldiers had to complete on setting foot in Argentine territory, in which abuses and ill treatments during the conflict were recorded but had to remain silent on officers' orders.

“There's an enormous number of cases which will come to light because they are totally proved testimonies and evidence of abuse, torture, ill-treatment”, insisted Alonso in reference to the IHRC presentation.