Teodora Vásquez got sentenced to 30 years in prison for having a miscarriage in El Salvador, where getting an abortion is severely punished. It is considered a crime under any circumstance.
Vásquez, who has been imprisoned for ten years now, will have a new hearing. The judge, however, will be the same one that initially sentenced her.
After losing consciousness due to bleeding and pain, she woke up surrounded by police officers that accused her of inducing abortion, thus, murdering her baby. Women with miscarriages and stillbirths can be treated as criminals in El Salvador.
At least 19 women are serving long prison sentences for suffering complications during pregnancy. Amnesty International Norway started an online campaign to tell the story of women’s rights in El Salvador through IAmListening.org.
AIN reported that she is well and has been taking classes in prison. Her biggest wish is to be reunited with her 12-year-old son and the ones she loves.
“The total ban on abortion violates the rights of women and girls because it criminalizes them. It is outrageous that the penalty for women suffering pregnancy-related complications may be up to several decades of imprisonment,” said John Peder Egenaes, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Norway.
“We demand that Teodora Vasquez and all other women who are imprisoned for pregnancy-related complications are immediately released,” he continued. “We also demand that Salvadoran authorities decriminalize abortion, and ensure access to abortion in cases of rape or incest, where the woman’s health or life is at risk, and in severe cases of fetal impairment.”
“Thousands have already shared, and many more are pushing to get Teodora free by using the hashtags #iamlistening and #JusticiaparaTeodora,” Egenaes added. “We will use every single share, and every single hashtag, to tell the Salvadoran authorities that the world is aware of Teodora’s case.”
This article was inspired by LATIN TIMES // Salvadoran Teodora Vásquez, Jailed For Having Miscarriage, Gets New Hearing After Serving 10 Years