Two ex-military rescuers arrested for murder of four Dutch journalists in 1982

© Provided by News 360 Former Salvadoran Defense Minister José Guillermo García and others accused in the 1980 El Mozote massacre - CAMILO FREEDMAN / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO

The former Salvadoran Minister of Defense and General José Guillermo García and the former director of the Treasury Police and Colonel Francisco Antonio Morán have been arrested by order of the judge of first instance of Dulce Nombre de María, Chalatenango, for the murder of four Dutch journalists in 1982.

Garcia and Moran were arrested on Friday night. Arrest warrants have also been issued for the former commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, Colonel Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena, resident in Virginia, United States, for which his extradition has been requested, reports Salvadoran newspaper 'El Mundo'.

The provisional detention and arrest warrant also includes Sergeant Mario Canizalez Espinoza, of the Atonal Battalion, and Colonel Rafael Flores Lima, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, both deceased.

All are being prosecuted for the murder of journalists Koos Jacobus Andries Koster, Jan Cornelius Kuiper Joop, Hans Lodewijk ter Laag and Hohannes Jan Wilemsen.

The former Minister of Defense and the former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are being prosecuted for murder by omission and the former director of the Finance Police, the former commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade and the sergeant of the Atonal Battalion are being prosecuted for being the material authors of these murders.

The lawyer for the prosecution and attorney for two of the journalists, Pedro Cruz, highlighted the "historic" significance of this judicial decision and praised the "courage" of the judge.

"As private prosecutors we express our satisfaction for the resolution issued, we have worked in recent years to reach this step, very important for justice and truth. It is truly historic, a judicial resolution of this nature after 40 years of impunity. A courageous judge, the truth," said Cruz.

The journalists were killed on March 17, 1982 by a patrol of the Atonal Battalion that left the Fourth Infantry Brigade in El Paraíso and ambushed them in Santa Rita, Chalatenango, when they were on their way to an area controlled by the guerrillas during their journalistic coverage for the IKON TV network.

On March 17, 2022, on the 40th anniversary of the crimes, relatives of the four journalists demanded in El Salvador a speedy and transparent trial, asked the government and the Armed Forces to recognize this crime and provide the archives to clarify the facts.