(IPYS/IFEX) – Fabián Salazar Olivares, who was allegedly tortured by agents of the National Intelligence Service (Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional, SIN) on 24 May 2000, left the country on 31 May at 1:50 a.m. (local time). Salazar went directly from the San Borja clinic to the Jorge Chávez international airport, accompanied by his lawyer and […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – Fabián Salazar Olivares, who was allegedly tortured by agents of the National Intelligence Service (Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional, SIN) on 24 May 2000, left the country on 31 May at 1:50 a.m. (local time). Salazar went directly from the San Borja clinic to the Jorge Chávez international airport, accompanied by his lawyer and Member of Congress Anel Townsend. According to “Liberacion” daily, Salazar headed to Los Angeles, in the United States. However, the “El Comercio” daily is thus far unaware of his whereabouts.
According to the information given to “El Comercio” by Alberto Borea, Salazar’s lawyer, the journalist fled because he fears that he may be subject to reprisals for having denounced an attempt on his life by alleged members of the SIN. His attackers seized a number of videos that put well known individuals and state officials in a compromising position with Vladimiro Montesinos, advisor to the government.
“Liberacion” reported that the attorney in charge of the case, Lizardo Suárez Franco, of the 47th Provincial Office of the Public Prosecutor, heard the accusation for injuries, while removing the charge of torture which, according to the daily, should have applied in this case. The attorney had further arranged for a police officer to accompany Salazar in the clinic to protect him. However the journalist did not trust this measure, suggesting that he could not confide in the security provided by State officials when they had been the ones who had tortured him.
According to “Expreso”, Salazar left the country before submitting his statement in order to evade the attorney’s investigation and prevent the inquiry from becoming more extensive.
