El Salvador Won’t Pardon Women In Prison for Abortions or Miscarriages

In January, a woman in El Salvador who’d been imprisoned for having a miscarriage was finally pardoned, having spent seven years behind bars. The woman, known as “Guadalupe,” had been charged with having an abortion, an offense which was later changed to homicide. But while Guadalupe will be officially released today, 15 other women in her situation remain in jail.

The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Agrupación Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto, a group dedicated to decriminalizing abortion in El Salvador, have been working together to secure the release of 17 women who are serving 3o to 40 years sentences for having obstetric emergencies that resulted in miscarriages. Only Guadalupe has won a pardon. Another woman finished her prison sentence and was released. The Agrupación Ciudadana announced today that they have learned that the legislature will refused to review pardon applications for any of the other 15 women.

Source: El Salvador Won’t Pardon Women In Prison for Abortions or Miscarriages