UN human rights chief welcomes invalidation of Argentine war crimes amnesty

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today welcomed the Argentine Supreme Court’s invalidation of amnesty laws that shielded military officers from prosecution for crimes allegedly committed during the country's so-called Dirty War from 1976 to 1983.

“This is a historic step for Argentina,” Mrs. Arbour said of the court’s 14 June decision. “The ruling opens the way for justice to be done and may allow the country to finally come to terms with a painful chapter in its history.”

“It is also heartening to see that the faith of the survivors of the atrocious human rights violations of the ‘Dirty War’ in the rule of law and the courts was not misplaced,” she added.