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Guatemala's Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted the immunity of a lawmaker accused of war crimes dating back to the country's 1960-1996 internal conflict.
"That's correct. The immunity has been lifted" for Edgar Ovalle, a deputy for the ruling National Convergence Front, a spokesman for the court, Angel Pineda, told AFP.
Prosecutors accused Ovalle a year ago of belonging to a group of retired military officers responsible for the forced disappearances and massacres of indigenous civilians between 1981 and 1986.
A lower court refused to lift the immunity he enjoys as a lawmaker so he could face the charges. But the Supreme Court overturned that ruling, saying sufficient evidence exists against the legislator.
Ovalle has not attended session in Guatemala's congress for the past month, citing illness, local reports say.
