Human Rights in Peru http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/peru/ +------------------------------------------------------+ + AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION BULLETIN + + Electronic distribution authorised + + This bulletin expires: 2 June 1997. + +------------------------------------------------------+ EXTERNAL AI Index: AMR 46/15/97 UA 106/97 Death threat / Fear for safety 17 April 1997 PERU Jose Antonio ALVAREZ PACHAS, journalist Rosa NEYRA SAMALVIDES (f), journalist Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of journalists Jose Antonio Alvarez Pachas and Rosa Neyra Samalvides, following delivery of a written death threat to their home in Lima, the capital, on 4 April 1997. Jose Antonio Alvarez is a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience who was released on 1 October 1996, after having spent over four years in prison unjustly accused of terrorism. He and his wife, Rosa Neyra, were detained in June 1992. Both were sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but in May 1993 the Supreme Court of Justice acquitted Rosa Neyra and increased Jose Antonio Alvarez' sentence to six years, following an appeal hearing. Since his release last October, Jose Antonio Alvarez and Rosa Neyra have publicly criticized the prison conditions under which they and other prisoners were held. They have received numerous intimidating telephone calls at their home. On 28 December, the Peruvian newspaper Gestion published a list, which it claimed to have received from the anti-terrorism police, which included the name of Jose Antonio Alvarez as a member of the Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru, MRTA, Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. The MRTA is an armed opposition group. On the morning of 4 April, Jose Antonio Alvarez found a folded paper which had been slipped under the front door of his home. The paper carried a typed note addressed to "My Commander" ("Mi Comandante") and written by someone identifying themselves as "Sub-Palomino". The note concluded with the sentence "We have to kill him" ("Tenemos que matarlo"). On 9 April a Peruvian human rights organization filed a report before the Ministerio Publico, Public Ministry, and the Defensor del Pueblo, Ombudsman, outlining the acts of intimidation and the death threat referred to above. Jose Antonio Alvarez and Rosa Neyra informed Amnesty International that by 16 April the authorities had showed no signs of having initiated an investigation or taken measures to protect the two journalists. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Over the past years, Amnesty International has documented thousands of cases of human rights violations, including death threats, committed by the parties involved in the internal armed conflict which has afflicted Peru since 1980. The perpetrators of the vast majority of these abuses have not been brought to justice. Indeed, impunity is not only institutionalized in Peru but legalized. In June 1995 an Amnesty Law which closed all investigations into human rights violations committed by members of the security forces between 1980 and 1995 came into force. Impunity is a denial of truth and justice and contributes to further human rights violations. During the past months, Amnesty International has documented a series of events which point to a worsening situation concerning the protection of human rights in Peru. In particular the organization is concerned at numerous reports that political opponents and journalists critical of the government are being targeted for human rights violations because of their opinions. It is in this context that, for example, in November 1996, General Rodolfo Robles was detained after having denounced that an attack on Global Television in Puno department weeks earlier was perpetrated by members of the Servicio de Inteligencia del Ejercito, SIE, Army Intelligence Service (see UA 277/96, AMR 46/23/96, 7 November 1996). In December 1996, the Peruvian newspaper La Republica revealed a plan elaborated by the SIE to target journalists critical of the government. +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + Supporters of Amnesty International around the world are + + writing urgent appeals in response to the concerns + + described above. If you would like to join with them in + + this action or have any queries about the Urgent Action + + network or Amnesty International in general, please + + contact one of the following: + + + + Ray Mitchell, ua@amnesty.org.uk (UK) + + Scott Harrison, sharrison@igc.apc.org (USA) + + Guido Gabriel, ggabriel@amnesty.cl.sub.de (Germany) + + Marilyn McKim, aito@web.apc.org (Canada) + + Xavier Zeebroeck, xzeebroek@aibf.be (Belgium) + + Anne Nolan, ua@amnesty.iol.ie (Ireland) + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-AI material - Government Addresses to Write: All the numbers have the code (+ 51 14) Presidente de la Republica Senor Alberto Fujimori Fujimori Palacio de Gobierno Plaza de Armas s/n - Lima. Peru. Telefono 4266770 Fax 4266770 Ministro de Justicia Dr. Carlos Hermoza Moya Scipion Llona 350 Miraflores Lima 18 fax: 422-3577 Ministro del Interior Gral EP. Juan Briones Davila Plaza 30 de Agosto s/n Urb. Corpac San Isidro Lima 27 tel: 475-2995 fax: 224-2407 Ministro de Defensa Tomas Castillo Meza Av. Arequipa 291 Lima 1 tel: 433-5150 fax: 433-6906 Presidente de la Corte Suprema Doctor Moises Pantoja Rodulfo Palacio de Justicia Paseo de la Republica s/n - Lima Telefono 4284457 Fax 4262555 Fiscal de la Nacion Doctora Blanca Nelida Colan Av. Abancay Cdra. 5 - Lima Telefono 4261523 Fax 4262474 Presidente de la Comision de Derechos Humanos Doctor Daniel Espich n Tumay Congreso de la Republica Plaza Bolivar s/n - Lima Telefono 4263201 Fax 4263201 Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas Gral EP Nicolas de Bari Hermoza Rios Corpancho 280 Santa Beatriz Lima 1 tel: 433-4679 433-4082 Consejo Supremo de Justicia Militar Gral EP Guido Guevara Av. Arequipa 310 Lima 1 tel: 4332070