Argentinian social leader Milagro Sala in one of her court appearances. Photo: X/@LapapaDiario.
The government of Argentina, led by far-right President Javier Milei, asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) to allow the Argentinian authorities to end the house arrest of social activist Milagro Sala and send her to a prison for the remainder of her sentence.
On Thursday, February 5, the Justice Ministry’s Undersecretariat for Human Rights stated that Milagro Sala, a former Peronist Congresswoman from Jujuy province and leader of the Tupac Amaru Neighborhood Organization, must serve 15 years in prison “without privileges or special benefits.”
According to the Milei government, Sala violated the terms of her house arrest by changing her location without judicial authorization, which triggered alerts in the electronic monitoring system and prompted a criminal investigation.
Sala was arrested in 2016 following protests that she led against Jujuy Governor Gerardo Morales. In 2022, the Supreme Court of Argentina upheld the 13-year sentence, which, combined with previous ones, adds up to 15 years.
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Sala, currently under house arrest in Buenos Aires, was hospitalized at the Gonnet Hospital in January due to health complexities. However, the Milei government has questioned the medical diagnoses justifying house arrest measures for her.
As part of the ongoing government harassment of the social activist, the Undersecretariat of Human Rights, headed by JoaquĂn Mogaburu, accused Sala of “fabricating a narrative” to maintain her privileges.
The statement emphasized that “human rights are meant to protect people, not to shield those convicted.” The official rhetoric casts doubt on the IACHR’s decision and reinforces political attacks against the former legislator and her organization.
