El Salvador frees three women convicted of abortions

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — President Nayib Bukele’s authorities has freed 3 Salvadoran women who were sentenced to 30 years successful situation nether the nation’s strict anti-abortion laws aft suffering obstetric emergencies, according to termination rights groups.

Morena Herrera of the Citizen’s Group for the Depenalization of Abortion said precocious Friday that the radical was told 1 pistillate would beryllium acceptable escaped astatine statesmanlike order, but erstwhile they went to the situation to greet her, 3 were released.

“We presented ourselves astatine the situation successful Zacatecoluca and Karen, Kathy and Evelyn left. They are escaped and successful their homes,” Herrera said.

She said she had nary further accusation astir the decision, though she noted that petitions were pending earlier the Supreme Court to commute the women’s sentences.

The 3 are among astatine slightest 17 Salvadoran women activists see unjustly convicted and imprisoned pursuing obstetric emergencies and who person been astatine the halfway of a run against El Salvador’s implicit instrumentality against abortions.

Several celebrities — including actors América Ferrera, Mila Jovovich and Katheryn Hahn — past week asked Bukele and El Salvador successful wide to fto the women instrumentality location for Christmas.

“We are grateful that our petitions are being heard and we spot that President Bukele is going to enactment to execute state for the remainder of the guiltless women,” said Paula Avila-Guillén, enforcement manager of the Washington-based Women’s Equality Center.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights successful November ruled that El Salvador’s authorities had violated the rights of a pistillate identified arsenic Manuela who was arrested successful 2008 connected charges of provoking an termination and died successful 2010 portion successful custody, leaving 2 children.

El Salvador is 1 of 4 countries successful Latin America that bans termination successful each cases, adjacent erstwhile the beingness of the parent is astatine hazard and successful cases of rape. The others are Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Charges of homicide are often brought.