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Victory in Case Against Somali Colonel Magan!

A federal court in Ohio found Colonel Magan liable for the torture, arbitrary detention and cruel treatment of CJA client and former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, Professor Abukar Ahmed (pictured here). Magan was the head of the notorious National Security Service where thousands were unlawfully detained and tortured.

Holding Salvadoran War Criminals Accountable: The Massacre at University of Central America, San Salvador, 1989

This essay will examine some new developments in the case of one of the most notorious war crimes committed by the Salvadoran security forces during the twelve year long civil war: the massacre on the campus of the José Simeón Cañas University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador on November 16, 1989. This is an immensely important issue because it could begin to balance the dialectic between impunity and accountability to the side of accountability. For the first time, a high-ranking army officer may soon be tried for this crime.

4th Circuit Again Denies Immunity in Samantar

In a landmark decision, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Samantar’s appeal in the first case to consider the “common law immunity” of foreign officials. The decision denies immunity for human rights abuses like torture and extrajudicial killing and denies absolute deference to the executive branch.

Relatives Look for Answers

Today a lady came to the exhumation because she wanted to give us antemortem information. I spoke to her in English, and a person from the War Crimes Investigation Commission translated to Somali. I started telling her, "I’m a forensic anthropolog

Muted Voices

Over the past week, the team has worked to finish identifications of the individuals in the first mass grave.