On November 13th, 2008, the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) filed a criminal case in Madrid against former Salvadoran President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Alfredo Cristiani Burkard, and 14 former officers and soldiers of the Salvadoran Army for their role in the notorious "Jesuits Massacre" of November 16th, 1989 at the Universidad Centroamericana ¨José Simeon Cañas¨ (UCA) in El Salvador. The case was filed in Spain using the country’s universal jurisdiction law. CJA and their colleagues with the Spanish Association for Human Rights (APDHE) jointly filed the case as popular prosecutors.
The complaint alleges crimes against humanity, the cover up of crimes against humanity and state terrorism.