Who is Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar?
Q: Who is Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar?
A: Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar is a judge who was the president of one of Guatemala’s two High Risk Court Tribunals.
Q: What is a High Risk Court Tribunal?
A: A High Risk Court Tribunal is a kind of court that has authority in difficult cases, which are likely to cause people to become upset because they are related to politics or government.
Q: What award did Barrios receive in 2014?
A: In 2014, Barrios received an International Women of Courage Award from the United States Department of State.
Q: Who was Efraín Ríos Montt and what trial did he face?
A: Efraín Ríos Montt was a former leader of Guatemala who ruled with total authority. He faced a trial in which he was tried for genocide against Ixil Mayans, which was the first time a national court tried a former leader for this crime.
Q: What happened on May 20th, 2013?
A: On May 20th, 2013, the Constitutional Court of Guatemala decided that the decision from the trial against Efrain Rios Montt was wrong and changed it. It ordered the trial to start again due to disagreement over judges.
Q: When will Ríos Montt's trial start again?
A: Officials said that Ríos Montt's trial will start again in January 2015.
Q: Why did Barrios' authority as judge get suspended in April 2014?
A: In April 2014, Barrios' authority as judge was suspended for a year due to complaint by lawyer who had part in Efrain Rios Montt's trial.
