Related Resources

Resources for Spanish Case

Facts of the Case

The murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter on November 16th, 1989, at their home on the campus of the Universidad Centroamericana was deliberately planned and prepared by senior military officers and authorized at the highest levels.

Legal Issues

CJA and APDHE jointly filed the case as popular prosecutors. Unlike the U.S., where criminal charges are initiated by the government, Spanish law allows ordinary citizens and non-government organizations to initiate criminal actions by filing criminal complaints as popular prosecutors.

Updates in Case in Spain

Salvadoran Supreme Court Releases High Commanders Indicted in Spain for 1989 Jesuits Massacre

On August 24, 2011, the Salvadoran Supreme Court ordered the release of nine former Salvadoran military officials responsible for the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests and two women, including the former Defense Minister Rafael Humberto Larios and Air Force General Rafael Bustillo. The defendants had been in custody since August 7, 2011, when they surrendered themselves to military authorities to avoid being detained by the National Civil Police, but were transferred to a civilian court. The former military officials have been indicted in Spain for crimes against humanity and state terrorism.

Spanish Judge Issues Indictments and Arrest Warrants in Jesuits Massacre Case

On May 30, 2011, a Spanish judge issued a 77-page indictment and arrest warrants for 20 Salvadoran ex-officers who have been charged with crimes against humanity and state terrorism for their role in the murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her sixteen year old daughter in 1989. The defendants, the majority of whom are still residents of El Salvador, have ten days to surrender to authorities before additional steps will be taken to ensure their arrest.

Spanish National Court Hears Expert Testimony in the Jesuits Massacre Case

December 1st, 2009

The expert testimony of lawyers from the Pro Human Rights Association of Spain and witnesses Terry Karl of Stanford University and Kate Doyle of the National Security Archive was presented before the Spanish National Court in the Jesuits Massacre Case. Two Salvadoran witnesses, whose names are being withheld for security reasons, also testified.

Updates in Immigration Fraud Case Against Montano

Retired Salvadoran Commander Inocente Orlando Montano Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Immigration Fraud and Perjury Charges

September 11th, 2012

On September 11, 2012, Inocente Orlando Montano, retired Salvadoran colonel and defendant in CJA’s Jesuits Massacre Case in Spain, pled guilty to six counts of federal criminal immigration fraud and perjury before district judge Douglas P. Woodlock.

U.S. Indicts Jesuits Massacre Defendant Inocente Orlando Montano for Immigration Fraud Based on Concealing Human Rights Abuses

February 10th, 2012

The United States has indicted Inocente Orlando Montano, a retired Salvadoran colonel and a defendant in CJA’s Jesuits Massacre Case in Spain, on federal criminal immigration fraud and perjury charges. Montano is accused of making false statement regarding his involvement in human rights abuses in his application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian immigration benefit for Salvadorans unable to return safely to their home country.

U.S. Arrests Former Salvadoran Official and Massachusetts Resident For Immigration Fraud Related to 1989 Jesuits Massacre

August 23rd, 2011

In the early morning of August 23, 2011, Federal officials took into custody Inocente Orlando Montano, former Salvadoran minister responsible for the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests and two women, on charges of lying on immigration documents that he filed with the federal government after taking up residence in Massachusetts in 2004.

Resources for Immigration Fraud Case

Understanding the Montano Sentencing Process for the Crimes of Immigration Fraud and Perjury

The January 15, 2013 sentence of Colonel Montano, one of the co-conspirators indicted by the Spanish National Court for the 1989 murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter, was continued for at least two months. The main issue behind this delay is the extent to which evidence regarding Colonel Montano’s record of human rights abuses can be brought to bear on the duration of his jail sentence.