Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of an anonymous tribunal which had sentenced journalist Pedro Valdez Bernales to twenty years in jail. A retrial is set to happen. According to the Peruvian human rights organization APRODEH, whose lawyers are defending Valdez, news of the date of the retrial should come at the beginning […]
Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of an
anonymous tribunal which had sentenced journalist Pedro Valdez
Bernales to twenty years in jail. A retrial is set to happen.
According to the Peruvian human rights organization APRODEH,
whose lawyers are defending Valdez, news of the date of the
retrial should come at the beginning of February. According to
APRODEH lawyers, the Supreme Court decision is positive for
Bernales, who stands to go free if the tribunal finds him
innocent.
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 6 September and 26 July 1994**
Background Information
Pedro Valdez Bernales was detained on 19 November 1992 on his way
to work at “Fama Publications”. Anti-terrorist police accused him
of having links to the Shining Path terrorist group. He was
sentenced by an anonymous tribunal to 20 years in jail on 19
August 1993. His case (No. 994-93) was sent to the Supreme Court
on appeal.
Please stay alert for notice of the retrial date, which IPYS will
send next week as soon as it becomes available. Concerted
pressure on Peruvian authorities will be needed at that time to
appeal for the immediate release of Pedro Valdez Bernales.
