and they kept the victim’s daughter, the minor Silverio Lajuj Tum. After killing all the residents of
the village as described, they tossed all of the bodies into a brook near the place already
mentioned. In addition, it was established that all the persons mentioned as accused participated
actively in each of the executions and in the facts already described above, and that minor Jesús
Tecú Osorio was taken from the place and lived with Pedro González Gomes, minor Maria
Eustaquia Uscap Ivoy lived with Pablo Ruiz Alvarado and minor Pedro Sic Sánchez lived with
29
Fermín Lajuj Xitumui.”
Based on illustrative report No. 10 of the report of the Commission for Historical Clarification
(Comisión de Esclarecimiento Histórico), it was established that: “On August 23, 1993, four
members of the community, with the assistance of the Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM), reported
the facts to the Justice system. On July 25, 1994, three members of the Civil Defense Patrols who
participated in the massacre of March 13 were detained and indicted. The exhumation was done
on October 7, 1994, On May 27, 1996, oral argument was suspended because the defense
30
requested the application of the amnesty decree, 32/88, which was denied in all instances.”
43. With respect to the procedural posture of the case, the State, in its response to the
complaint, noted that the oral trial began on November 9, 1998; it concluded with a
conviction, handed down November 30 by the Court of Rabinal (Tribunal de Sentencia de
Rabinal), in which the death sentence was imposed by the trial court against Pedro González
Gómez, Fermín Lajuj Xitumul, and Miguel Alvarado, accused of being the material perpetrators
of the Río Negro massacre. This judgment, according to the State, was voided on appeal and
remanded. The State adduces that the accused were subsequently convicted and sentenced to
“50 years of prison for the assassination of two persons found at the clandestine cemetery of
Pocoxom.” 31 According to the State, the judgment was upheld in 2000.
44. In addition, the State indicated that criminal proceedings were initiated against Messrs.
Macario Alvarado Toj, Francisco Alvarado Lajuj, Tomas Vino Alvarado, Pablo Ruiz Alvarado,
Bonifacio Cuxum López, and Lucas Lajuj Alvarado; and that the file was forwarded to the
Criminal Court for Drug-trafficking and Crimes against the Environment, on July 14, 2003.
45. The State also indicated that in keeping with the Report from the Public Ministry, it was
established that the Army officer mentioned in the incident attributed to the accused who are
named, is the now Colonel José Antonio Solares González. The State indicates that an arrest
warrant was issued for Colonel José Antonio Solares on April 15, 2003, for the crime of murder
(asesinato). The State adduces that as part of the investigation, and to secure Mr. Solares
González’s arrest, searches and checks have been carried out, with negative results; he adds
that information has been requested from different institutions to determine his whereabouts.
46. The State indicates that in the instant case, the petitioners accuse the State of violating
the victims’ rights for not having executed the order to apprehend Colonel José Antonio
Solares. In this respect, it notes, according to the information received from the judicial
entities and the Public Ministry, the arrest warrant is pending execution.
47. Based on what has been indicated by the State, on several occasions efforts have been
made to execute the arrest warrant, but it has been impossible due to the fact that Mr. Solares
González has not been found at the time and place the operation is carried out.
48. The State asks the Commission to find the case inadmissible for the time being,
considering that according to information received by the judicial bodies in charge of imparting
justice, the arrest warrant for Mr. Solares is still pending execution, and the proceeding is still
open.
29
30
31
See State’s brief of July 10, 2006.
See State’s brief of July 10, 2006.
See State’s brief of July 10, 2006.
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