Case of the Plan de Sanchez Massacre v. Guatemala (Series C No. 105)

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights accepted Guatemala's acknowledgment of international responsibility for the State-led massacre of 268 members of the Mayan indigenous community and subsequent denial of justice in failing to redress the consequences of the massacre, in violation of Articles 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 21, 24, and 25 of the American Convention on Human Rights. It is undisputed that the Mayans suffered the effects of massacres and "scorched earth operations" that involved complete destruction of their communities, homes, livestock, culture, social and economic institutions, and religious values and practices. Articles 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 21, 24, and 25 of the American Convention recognize the rights of American peoples to humane treatment, fair trial, privacy, freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of association, property, equal protection, and judicial protection, respectively. The Court continued the hearing for the purpose of determining reparations.