Hundreds of people could be charged with torture, disappearances and kidnapping babies during Argentina's so-called Dirty War against dissidents after the Supreme Court today struck down amnesties passed in the 1980s.
In a 7-1 vote, with one abstention, the Supreme Court voided laws passed in 1986 and 1987 to forbid charges involved in disappearances, torture and other crimes during the dictatorship. The court said the bans were contrary to today's international norms requiring the state to protect human rights and punish abuses.
Note the importance of international norms in overturning a well-established law. In the view of anybody concerned with human rights and individual accountability, this decision is cause for celebration. In the view of a good chunk of the U.S. House of Representatives, this would be cause to impeach the majority of the court.
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