The historic decision by the new government of Argentina, under President Kirchener, to declare the amnesty laws null and void opens the way towards truth and justice in Argentina. Amnesty laws which attempt to conceal crimes against humanity such as forced disappearances and systematic torture are contrary to international human rights law and contribute to the reinforcing of impunity…..With this decision, it becomes even more imperative for the Argentine judiciary and other government authorities to assume responsibility for continuing with investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for thousands of cases of "disappearances", torture and extrajudicial executions which more than 30 years later still remain unpunished.

One survivor who has courageously and untiringly stepped forward to identify and prosecute her torturers is Patricia Isasa, who accompanied us through most of our time in Argentina.

In 1976 Patricia when was a 16 year old high school student in Santa Fe, Argentina, she was kidnapped by a commando group of state police. For over two and a half years she was continuously tortured while being held prisoner without trial or due process.

In 1997 Patricia initiated an investigation into her kidnappers' identities. As a result of her research and efforts, today eight people are in custody and awaiting trial, including an ex-federal judge, an ex-assistant secretary of security for Santa Fe, and several ex-policemen, including Lt. Col. Domingo Manuel Marcellini, a graduate of the School of the Americas.

Several of our delegates traveled with Patricia to Santa Fe to visit the places where she was detained and tortured and to meet with the judge who will preside over her case and determine when it comes to trial. With the accompaniment of our group, Patricia was given a trial date on the spot (difficult to obtain in the judicial processes there) and has had local press coverage of her case and upcoming trial.

In the wake of our visit, an arrest warrant has been issued for another perpetrator of crimes against humanity, Colonel Juan Ramon, bringing the total in Patricia's case to 9 people. Patricia has produced a video telling her story called "El Cerco" (The Fence) that premiered on national television in Argentina on May 1, 2006. The DVD is available locally for those who would like to view it.