An Andorran judge heard on Wednesday, February 17, the women's rights activist Vanessa Mendoza Cortés, accused in particular of defamation against the institutions of the principality.
Read also: The lawyer and women's rights activist, Hanane al-Barassi, shot dead in the street in Libya
This procedural step should soon open on a trial.
The prosecution accuses Mendoza Cortés, president of the Stop Violences association, of statements made in 2019 before the UN Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which had notably insisted on the need to decriminalize abortion.
Outside the Andorra la Vella courthouse, a dozen people gathered to support the activist.
According to the demonstrators, the president of Stop Violences “
represents all the Andorran people
”.
Accused of defamation, slander and attack on the prestige of Andorran institutions, Mendoza Cortés faces four years in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.
For its part, Amnesty International has called on the Andorran authorities to stop "
using criminal sanctions to prevent Vanessa Mendoza Cortés from expressing her opinions freely
" For this organization, "
the fact of prosecuting a respected human rights defender for his legitimate work and his participation in a meeting of experts of a UN body constitutes an act of outrageous intimidation and an attempt to silence freedom of expression
”.