The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday began hearing the historic case of a Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion in 2013 despite doctors' calls to terminate her high-risk pregnancy.
The case of the woman, a domestic worker known only as Beatriz, became a symbol of El Salvador's blanket ban on abortion, which punishes with prison time those who undergo the procedure and those who perform or assist in it. Experts say the court's ruling at the end of the year could have far-reaching implications on reproductive health across the continent.
The court's public hearing, which is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica, until Thursday, was marked by both anti-abortion protests and demonstrations of support for Beatriz.
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