IACHR condemns El Salvador for denying abortion to sick woman

Amnesty International (AI) welcomed Monday the ruling by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that condemned El Salvador for preventing a woman from having an abortion in 2013 despite the fact that her life was in danger.

"Today we have a more solid legal protection for reproductive health, which is very welcome in the midst of regressive tensions in the region and particularly in El Salvador," said Ana Piquer, director for the Americas at AI, in a statement.

On Friday, the continental court, based in San José, declared El Salvador responsible for violating the rights "to personal integrity, privacy, and health," said Beatriz, a pseudonym used to protect the identity of the woman, who was then 22 years old.

This ruling marks "a historic step," said Piquer.

In El Salvador, abortion is prohibited under any modality and is punishable by prison sentences of two to eight years, but it is usually interpreted by the courts as aggravated homicide, which carries sentences of up to 50 years in prison.

Beatriz suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, and at 12 weeks of pregnancy, her fetus had anencephaly, the absence of brain development.

The woman requested an abortion that the Salvadoran Constitutional Court denied her. 81 days later, she went into labor and had to undergo an emergency Caesarean section at 26 weeks of pregnancy. The baby died five hours later.

Beatriz died in a traffic accident in 2017.

"Every woman and pregnant person has the right to abortion, more than ever in cases like Beatriz's, when their life and health are at risk," said Piquer.

Following the ruling, the Salvadoran government said it would "thoroughly analyse the scope and recommendations" of the Court within the framework of "national legislation."

– TIMES/AFP