World news explained
Guatemala's former president Rios Montt on trial for crimes against humanity
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Play - 05:21
The former president of Guatemala, General José Efrain Rios Montt, is due in court today, accused in connection with the murder, torture and displacement of thousands of Mayan Indians during his rule. Rios Montt ran Guatamala between 1982 and 1983, following a military coup during one of the bloodiest periods of the country's civil war. On Monday, a judge ordered him to stand trial for genocide and crimes against humanity over the deaths of indigenous Ixil people. RFI discussed the case with human rights researcher Sebastian Elgueta.
