U.S. complaint filed against Salvadoran officer in 1982 killing of Dutch journalists

São Paulo, October 10, 2024—CPJ welcomes the civil complaint filed in a U.S. court against Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena, one of several Salvadoran military officers alleged to be connected to the March 17, 1982 ambush and killing of Dutch TV journalists Jan Kuiper, Koos Koster, Joop Willemsen, and Hans ter Laag in Chalatenango, El Salvador, during their coverage of the Salvadoran Civil War. 

“This lawsuit shows the determination of victims’ families to seek truth, memory, and justice and offers some hope for even the most egregious cases of impunity for the killing of journalists,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ’s Latin America Program Coordinator. “The attacks many journalists face today reflect the impunity of the past, and accountability is essential to creating the conditions for democratic deliberation and the rule of law.” 

The U.S.-based Center for Justice and Accountability filed the complaint on behalf of Gert Kuiper, Jan’s brother, in collaboration with human rights groups Fundación Comunicándonos and ASDEHU of El Salvador, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where Reyes Mena lives.

The four Dutch journalists were with leftist rebels when they were killed in 1982. A report issued by the United Nations Truth Commission in 1993 concluded that colonel Reyes Mena participated in planning the ambush of the journalists.

After 42 years, three accused, including a former minister of defense and two military officers, will face trial in El Salvador, according to news reports.

The court will now process the complaint and issue a summons, which will be delivered to Reyes Mena.