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Three women accused of abortion are released in El Salvador after suffering obstetric emergencies

2021-12-26T01:14:30.342Z


They had been convicted after losing their pregnancies due to health problems, according to activists. They claim that there are still more than a dozen women imprisoned in the country for the same reason.


The government of the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, released three women from that country who were sentenced to 30 years in prison, under the country's strict anti-abortion laws, after having had obstetric emergencies, according to groups defending the right to abortion.

Morena Herrera, from the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion, said late on Friday that they had been informed that

a woman would be released by presidential order

but, when they went to the prison to receive her, they released three in total.

"We went to the Zacatecoluca prison and Karen, Kathy and Evelyn left. Now they are free and at home," Herrera told The Associated Press.


A group of women are demanding that the government release inmates who are serving 30-year prison sentences for having abortions, out of court in San Salvador, El Salvador. Salvador Melendez / AP

She added that she had no further information on the decision, although she indicated that there were pending petitions before the Supreme Court to

commute

the women's

sentences

.

The three are part of the

at least 17 Salvadoran women

who have been unjustly convicted and imprisoned after suffering health emergencies during their pregnancies,

accused by the state of having wanted to have an abortion

.

For years, organizations that work for social justice and women's rights have fought the problems faced by women who lose their pregnancies or suffer complications during out-of-hospital deliveries in contexts of extreme poverty.

Last week, actresses like America Ferrera or Mila Jovovich, and Latin activists like Paola Mendoza, joined the campaign 'Nos missing las 17' (

Free The 17

) with a call for Bukele so that they can be released from prison and can return to their homes to Christmas.

Reunite these women with their families.

They have already suffered too much

”, they had asked.

[The cases of Manuela and Sara in El Salvador are an example of how the total ban on abortion threatens the lives of the poorest]

"They stole my dreams."

The harsh testimony of the Salvadoran woman who was imprisoned for a miscarriage

June 9, 202101: 23

"We appreciate that our requests are heard and we trust that President Bukele will work to free the rest of innocent women," said Paula Ávila-Guillén, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Equality for Women. .

In November, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the Government of El Salvador had violated the rights of a woman, identified as Manuela, who was arrested in 2008, accused of causing an abortion, and died in 2010 while in detention.

Manuela left two children

.

A few months ago, Sara Rogel was also released, who spent a decade in the Minor Detention Center in the city of Zacatecoluca for losing her baby in an accident.

"I loved my baby and because of a fall I lost him," said the woman when she was released.

El Salvador is one of the four countries in Latin America that prohibit abortion in all circumstances, including when the life of the mother is in danger and in cases of rape.

The others are Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

Murder charges are often filed.


Manuela is a Salvadoran who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after presenting an obstetric emergency and losing her baby.

She was accused of having an abortion and was handcuffed while she was still in the hospital.

They charged her with aggravated murder.MARVIN RECINOS / AFP via Getty Images

In the event that a court determines the guilt of a person, the penalties vary from two to eight years.

However, in many cases during trials the crime is changed to aggravated homicide and 

the sentence can be up to 30, 40 or up to 50 years in prison.

With these last three women released, 54 people have been released so far.

The Inter-American Court ordered El Salvador to implement structural measures to prohibit the criminalization of people for obstetric emergencies.

Experts believe that this antecedent may help to have more releases.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-12-26

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