H U M A N R I G H T S W A T C H
RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK How Guatemala’s Courts Could Doom the Fight against Impunity
Running out the Clock How Guatemala’s Courts Could Doom the Fight against Impunity
Copyright © 2017 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-35447 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez
Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org
NOVEMBER 2017
ISBN: 978-1-6231-35447
Running out the Clock How Guatemala’s Courts Could Doom the Fight against Impunity Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology...................................................................................................................... 7 Instruments of Delay: Amparos and Recusals ..................................................................... 8 Amparos.................................................................................................................................. 8 Recusals................................................................................................................................. 13 Impact on Criminal Proceedings .............................................................................................. 13
Causes of Delay: How Judges and Lawyers Undermine Criminal Proceedings......................15 1) Judges fail to enforce admissibility rules for amparo petitions ............................................. 15 2) Judges fail to meet deadlines for resolving amparo and recusal petitions ............................ 16 3) Judges and judicial functionaries delay bureaucratic procedures ......................................... 18 4) Judges suspend proceedings while awaiting the resolution of petitions .............................. 20 5) Judges fail to reschedule suspended hearings in a timely manner ....................................... 21 6) Defense lawyers exploit the judiciary’s failings with dilatory tactics ....................................22 7) Judges and lawyers are not held accountable for delays ......................................................23
Current Cases ................................................................................................................... 26 Blanco Lapola Case ............................................................................................................... 26 Corrupt Military Officers Case .................................................................................................30 Genocide Case .......................................................................................................................32 La Línea Case .........................................................................................................................36 Impunity Law Firm Case .......................................................................................................... 41 Phantom Jobs Case ................................................................................................................ 46
Past Cases ....................................................................................................................... 50 Myrna Mack Case ..
