CANCELLED: Annual Lecture on Law and Social Transformation

We regret to inform you that we have to cancel this year’s Annual Lecture on Law and Social Transformation. Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj was prevented from boarding her flight at  Guatemala’s national airport on Sunday. CMI and the University of Bergen will be making a formal complaint to the air company. Indigenous rights is one of the prominent themes at this year’s Bergen Exchanges, and this incident highlights the struggles faced by indigenous populations worldwide.

Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj – Justice beyond the final verdict: The Sepur Zarco case and the aftermath of court-ordered reparations in transitional justice cases in Guatemala

During the Guatemalan civil war, indigenous women were systematically raped by the military in a small community near the Sepur Zarco outpost. From 2011 to 2016, survivors of these atrocities fought for justice at the highest court in Guatemala. The case was ground breaking.

The case resulted in two military officers being convicted of crimes against humanity and reparations measures were granted to 18 of the women and their community. The women are now fighting for the implementation of this ruling.

In this annual lecture, distinguished scholar, journalist and international spokesperson for indigenous rights, Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj, will discuss the process the women now face in seeking their rights and transitional justice in Guatemala.

Following the lecture, there will be a panel discussion chaired by Anna Gopsill (University of London/CMI) with Anne Horn (Judge, Bergen City Court and Board Member of the Rafto Foundation); Rachel Sieder (CIESAS/CMI) and Elin Skaar (CMI)

This event is part of the Bergen Exchanges 2019. For a full schedule of the week’s events, see here.