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Prosecutors seek to lift leader's immunity over deadly blaze

Prosecutors are seeking to lift the immunity of President Jimmy Morales so he can respond to accusations he was legally responsible for the deaths of 41 girls in a state-run children's shelter in March

Attorney General Mayra Veliz told a news conference the request to be conveyed to the Supreme Court was initiated by two opposition lawmakers.

She cautioned, however, that the matter first needed to be subjected to a "preliminary investigation" before papers were filed.

The move relates to a March 8 fire in a state-run children's shelter just outside Guatemala City that killed 41 teenage girls.

An initial probe said the girls had started the fire themselves to protest sexual abuse and other ill treatment they had suffered in the facility.

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The head of the social welfare secretariat responsible for the shelter, his predecessor, and the shelter's director were all arrested and arraigned on charges of homicide, abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, child abuse and grievous bodily harm.

On Monday, five other officials -- the prosecutor in charge of protecting children's rights, the head of a department tasked with protection against maltreatment, a public defender for children and two senior police officials -- were also arrested on homicide charges.

But leftwing opposition lawmakers Sandra Moran and Leocadio Juracan said Morales also bore responsible because of his direct power over the social welfare secretariat, and demanded his presidential immunity be suspended.

A presidential spokesman said Morales would respect the legal process.

Guatemala's president is currently in France, on an official visit started last week.

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