23
José Agapito Ruano Torres working at the school while the kidnapping was taking place, the court ruled
that “those circumstances have not been corroborated by any other evidentiary sources; […] it is
relatives and friends.”118
93.
On October 23, 2001, the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman submitted a
complaint regarding the lack of participation of some witnesses during the public hearing despite having
been cited with regard to the case of José Agapito Ruano Torres, Joaquín Rodríguez Marroquín, José
Dolores Ruano López, Francisco Mejía Pérez, José León Pérez Alvarado, Ricardo Figueroa and Miguel
Ángel Guzmán.119 With regard to the situation of Mr. Ruano Torres, the Second Trial Court in and for San
Salvador indicated that the testimony of Eleazar Antonio Alemán, Roberto Ruano Torres, José and Ana
Marlene Orellana Barrera, and Nublas and Miguel Antonio Torres had already been admitted during the
preliminary hearing.120 Furthermore, the Court pointed out that José Agapito Ruano Torres’s own
defense “stated that it would not use the testimony of the witness Leonel Alcides Orellana.”121
94.
The documentation in the case file makes evident that the public defense of José
Agapito Ruano Torres did not file any motions for appeal, cassation appeal or review of the conviction.
In a brief to the National Coordinator of the Office of Public Defenders the public defense argued that
that the motion to review was not in order because, among other reasons, “[there] was no direct or
manifest violation of constitutional guarantees.”122 The defense added that the filing of this motion
could be attempted only if Rodolfo Ruano Torres “made a sworn statement that it was he and not his
brother […] who took part in the kidnapping.”123
95.
On October 16, 2001, after the Supreme Court of Justice had ruled inadmissible the
motions for cassation appeal filed on behalf of other convicted persons,124 the Second Trial Court in and
for San Salvador requested that the guilty judgment against José Agapito Ruano Torres and the other
accused be declared final.125
96.
On April 4, 2002, José Agapito Ruano Torres’s brother, Rodolfo Ruano Torres, stated
before the Human Rights Commission of El Salvador “I’ve been known as Chopo since I was a little child
because that’s what my family always called me.”126 He stated that, i) he tried to make a statement at the
118
Annex 1. Judgment of the Second Trial Court in and for San Salvador, dated October 5, 2001, page 590, criminal case file 77-2001-
2.
119
Annex 1. Notification of the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman with regard to the complaint submitted by the witness
Juana Antonia Henríquez de Guzmán, dated October 23, 2001, page 621, criminal case file 77-2001-2.
120
Annex 1. Brief of the Second Trial Court in and for San Salvador, dated October 25, 2001, page 625, criminal case file 77-2001-2.
121
Annex 1. Brief of the Second Trial Court in and for San Salvador, dated October 25, 2001, page 625, criminal case file 77-2001-2.
122
Annex 17. Brief of attorney Mario Chávez Corvera and attorney Soraya Melani Contreras de Escalante, submitted to the National
Coordinator of the Office of Public Defenders, dated March 19, 2002. Annex to the petitioner’s communication received on December 12, 2003.
123
Annex 17. Brief of attorney Mario Chávez Corvera and of attorney Soraya Melani Contreras de Escalante, submitted to the
National Coordinator of the Office of Public Defenders, dated March 19, 2002. Annex to the petitioner’s communication received on December
12, 2003.
124
The case file contains the motions for cassation appeal on behalf of Miguel Guzmán Mazariego, José Orellana Pérez, José León
Pérez, Joaquín Rodríguez and Ricardo Antonio Figueroa.
125
Annex 1. Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, case file 01-1554 Ac. 01-0214-01, June 9, 2003, page 694, criminal case file 77-
126
Annex 18. Brief of the Human Rights Commission of El Salvador, dated April 4, 2002. Annex to the petitioner’s brief dated April
2001-2.
11, 2007.