Centre for Legal and Social Studies

Argentine organization

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July 16, 2026

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The Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) is an Argentine organization founded in 1979 by Emilio Fermin Mignone. CELS documents human rights abuses, including disappearances, kidnappings, torture, and murder, committed by the Argentine military during its 1976–1983 dictatorship. The organization compiles detailed records on thousands of cases and provides legal assistance to victims and their relatives. CELS also conducts public awareness campaigns and liaises with international human rights organizations. Following the restoration of democracy in Argentina, CELS continues to monitor and report on human rights and civil rights in the country.12

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Emilio Fermin Mignone
… (“disappeared persons”), Mignone founded the Centre for Legal and Social Studies in 1979. His wife became a founding member of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers of the disappeared who held weekly vigils for their children in a plaza opposite the presidential palace in Buenos…
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… (“disappeared persons”), Mignone founded the Centre for Legal and Social Studies in 1979. His wife became a founding member of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers of the disappeared who held weekly vigils for their children in a plaza opposite the presidential palace in Buenos…
Read More