El Salvador violated rights of woman who had abortion and died in prison, court rules

FILE PHOTO: A woman sits in a float with "Yes abortion legal" written on her back during a protest in San Salvador September 28, 2012. REUTERS/Ulises Rodriguez/File Photo

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that El Salvador had violated the rights of a woman who was sent to prison for breaching the country's tough abortion laws and died while serving her 30-year sentence.

An El Salvador court sentenced the woman only identified as Manuela in 2008 for aggravated homicide after she suffered what the human rights court called an obstetric emergency that led to the death of her unborn child.