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March 07, 2025 – General –
A civil lawsuit filed in the United States aims to hold former Salvadoran military officer Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena accountable for the 1982 killings of four Dutch journalists during El Salvador’s civil war. The lawsuit, initiated by Gert Kuiper—the brother of slain journalist Jan Kuiper—was filed in October 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It seeks unspecified monetary damages and a declaration that Reyes Mena is responsible for the deaths of Jan Kuiper, Koos Koster, Joop Willemsen, and Hans ter Laag.
Reyes Mena, now 85, was a colonel who commanded El Salvador’s Fourth Infantry Brigade. A United Nations Truth Commission, established in 1992, concluded that Reyes Mena and his unit were responsible for orchestrating the ambush that led to the journalists’ deaths. Despite the commission’s findings, Reyes Mena has not faced prosecution in El Salvador. The Salvadoran government’s 1992 amnesty law initially protected military officers from prosecution, but it was overturned in 2016.
The lawsuit underscores the challenges of achieving justice for journalist killings, particularly when perpetrators are protected by legal barriers in their home countries. It also highlights the role of U.S. courts in addressing human rights violations committed abroad, especially when the accused reside in the United States. The case has garnered attention from human rights organizations, including the Center for Justice and Accountability, which is representing Gert Kuiper in this legal action.
This legal initiative is part of broader efforts to confront impunity for crimes committed during El Salvador’s civil war and to ensure accountability for those responsible for targeting journalists. The outcome of this lawsuit could have implications for similar cases involving human rights violations and the pursuit of justice through international legal avenues.
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