New trial opens against weekly’s editor-in-chief

A military court trial against Manuel Cabieses, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Punto Final”, has opened on charges of “inciting sedition” (“incitacion a la sedicion”). With a warrant for the arrest of Cabieses, police on 10 September 1996 raided the journalist’s home, as well as the offices of the weekly. A verdict was to be pronounced […]

A military court trial against Manuel Cabieses, editor-in-chief of
the weekly “Punto Final”, has opened on charges of “inciting
sedition” (“incitacion a la sedicion”). With a warrant for the
arrest of Cabieses, police on 10 September 1996 raided the
journalist’s home, as well as the offices of the weekly. A verdict
was to be pronounced on 17 September as to the writ of habeas
corpus filed by Cabieses’s lawyer arguing the case had already been
decided (see below). However, since Cabieses could not be found,
the military tribunal did not make a decision, and the trial
remains open.

On 9 September 1991, Cabieses published a front-page cartoon of
then army head General Pinochet cleaning his bloody nose with the
Chilean flag. The cartoon’s caption, “cynicism and sadism”
(“cinismo y sadismo”), alluded to comments made by Pinochet prior
to the excavation of a secret grave site in which bodies had been
buried two-by-two. Pinochet said, “This represents a savings for
the state” (“Eso representa una economia para el Estado”).

In 1995, the Santiago Appeals Court dismissed the case and
withdrew all charges against Cabieses. The five-year term in which
the charges could be brought back expired on 8 September 1996.
However, military prosecutors decided to reopen the case shortly
prior.

Cabieses, who could face 18 months in jail, has gone into hiding.

Recommended Action

Sr. Servando Jordan

President of the Supreme Court

Santiago, Chile

Fax: +56 2 69 52 144

Sr. Humberto Espejo

Martial Court President

Santiago, Chile

Fax: +56 2 69 90 894