(IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 7 September 2006 IPYS press release: ANTONIO DE LA TORRE’S WIDOW FILES ACTION AGAINST THE PERUVIAN STATE AT THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IPYS announces that, together with Dina Ramírez, widow of murdered journalist Antonio de la Torre, it has filed a complaint before the Inter-American Commission on […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 7 September 2006 IPYS press release:
ANTONIO DE LA TORRE’S WIDOW FILES ACTION AGAINST THE PERUVIAN STATE AT THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
IPYS announces that, together with Dina Ramírez, widow of murdered journalist Antonio de la Torre, it has filed a complaint before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the Peruvian state, because the Supreme Court has allowed the crime of her husband’s murder, committed in Yungay on 14 February 2004, to go unpunished. The court absolved those accused of the crime, ignoring evidence that had resulted in their conviction, and sentencing to 17 years in prison, by other courts.
In the written statement submitted to the IACHR, the plaintiffs demand reparations for the serious infractions committed during and after the legal proceedings. They argue, with supporting documentation, that in the de la Torre case the following rights were violated: the right to life; the right to freedom of thought and expression; the right to personal safety; the right to humane treatment – including the right not to be subject to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment; the right to due process; the right to protect one’s family; and the right to legal protection against the violation of one’s fundamental human rights.
Ramírez and IPYS, which is representing her legally, hold that the ruling of the Supreme Court ignored important statements made by the accused as well as other witnesses to the crime, which provide clear insight into the motives behind and the perpetrators of the crime – including the current mayor of Yungay, Amaro León. Indeed, these statements point to the same suspects as were identified as responsible by previous judicial investigations and by the Attorney General’s Office.
Considering the serious concerns about the ruling raised by these incriminating statements, the Supreme Court could have ordered new investigations or could have called for the completion of investigations that were left unfinished. Instead, it absolved all of the accused, with the exception of Moisés Julca Orillo, with regard to whom it postponed making a ruling on the basis of his not being present. This has ostensibly created a situation of impunity, since the process is likely to designate at most only one person responsible for this murder, when the actual revelations of the proceedings suggest that more were involved.
The plaintiffs also pointed out to the IACHR that:
– Before the murder, three attacks upon de la Torre and his family were not investigated by the police (an explosion on the roof of their home, a homemade bomb attack on their property, and a physical attack by a supporter of the mayor).
– After the murder, there were six irregularities in the legal process against the accused, including denying the victim’s widow access to the court proceedings and to the hearing, as well as documented acts of intimidation towards her during the course of the proceedings.
– Seven threats and acts of intimidation were directed toward the victim’s widow before and after the Supreme Court proceedings, which were not investigated by the relevant authorities. These acts led IPYS to relocate Ramírez from Yungay to Lima as a precautionary measure, a move supported by the Ombudsperson’s Office.
IPYS has requested of the IACHR that it demand safety precautions be taken to guarantee the life and safety of Ramírez and her four youngest children, who have returned to Yungay and who continue to fear possible acts of vengeance by those responsible for de la Torre’s murder.
Lima, 7 September 2006
Gustavo Gorriti, president
Ricardo Uceda, director
