A US judge has ruled that the former Salvadoran Defence Minister, General Eugenio Vides Casanova, can be deported due to his alleged involvement in war crimes.
General Casanova is accused of taking part in the killing of 6 Americans and several Salvadorans during the civil war in the 1980s.
The US supported then Defence Minister Casanova’s forces against leftist rebels; he retired and moved to Florida in 1989.
This is the first time a senior foreign military commander has been held responsible in a US court for abuses committed under his command, said human rights lawyers on Thursday.
Spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a legal activist group that seeks redress to Sri Lanka's Tamil victims of war, told TamilNet:
"The role of equities in the American justice system which render statutes of limitations flexible for particular crimes will bolster Tamil justice efforts in the long run. The immigration ruling is a welcome warning sign to Sri Lanka's alleged war-criminals, some of whom are either holders of Green Card or hold U.S. citizenship."
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