Amnesty International announced on Apr. 11 that it has filed as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, before the Public Prosecutor’s Office in three judicial cases investigating serious injuries suffered by Liam Lamas, Ernesto Aguirre, and Joel Paredes during protests in Jujuy in June 2023 against a constitutional reform.
The organization said its intervention aims to support the progress of investigations and help determine responsibility for what it described as excessive and disproportionate use of force by security forces during demonstrations against the provincial constitutional reform. Amnesty International stated these incidents are not isolated but represent a broader pattern of repression seen during the protests.
According to Amnesty International, Liam Lamas was injured on June 17 in Purmamarca when he was shot with a rubber bullet while participating in a peaceful demonstration, resulting in the loss of his right eye. Seventy-two hours later, Ernesto Aguirre was struck by a tear gas canister in San Salvador de Jujuy, causing him to lose vision in one eye and sustain other lasting injuries. On July 1, Joel Paredes was wounded by a rubber bullet during another protest in Humahuaca and also lost vision in one eye.
Nearly three years after these events, judicial investigations have made little progress and no responsibilities have been determined. “The judicial investigations present little progress. The judiciary has a fundamental role to clarify these facts and ensure accountability for excessive use of force,” said Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.
In its submission to authorities, Amnesty International recalled Argentina’s obligations to guarantee peaceful protest and freedom of expression rights while regulating law enforcement actions according to international human rights standards. The organization emphasized the need for timely and thorough investigations that identify both those who carried out repressive operations and those who ordered them so victims can access justice.
Amnesty International referenced its report ‘Callar no es una opción: Jujuy entre la represión y la impunidad,’ which found there had been no significant advances toward accountability for repression or criminalization related to social protests during May-June 2023 following passage of the controversial constitutional reform. The group documented what it called illegitimate use of force by police—including improper firing of rubber bullets and tear gas—which resulted in at least 170 people injured (several with serious facial injuries) including at least three who lost sight in one eye. There were also at least 99 detentions reported—many allegedly arbitrary—alongside complaints about mistreatment affecting children as well.
