(IPYS/IFEX) – The prosecutor for the Office of the Attorney General in the department of San Martin, Antonio Ruiz Sanchez, has arranged for the continued investigation of the murder of journalist Tito Pilco Mori, whose case was closed (archivado) before a thorough investigation had been made. Ruiz made the decision after the daily “La Republica” […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The prosecutor for the Office of the Attorney
General in the department of San Martin, Antonio Ruiz Sanchez,
has arranged for the continued investigation of the murder
of journalist Tito Pilco Mori, whose case was closed (archivado)
before a thorough investigation had been made. Ruiz made the
decision after the daily “La Republica” published in its 16
October 1997 edition a report outlining the chronology of events
surrounding Pilco Mori’s murder, and also after two eyewitness
accounts – which the police had not taken into account – were
made public. One of these testimonies was that of Henry Manayay
Zapata, a child who had seen four unidentified individuals
following Pilco Mori and who later threatened to kill him if he
spoke about what he had seen. The other testimony is that of the
doorman of Santo Toribio College, surnamed Rojas Armas, who saw
Pilco Mori being assaulted by two individuals. However, police
officials as well as the initial report of the Office of the
Attorney General regarding the murder claimed that Pilco Mori had
injured his head after falling off his motorcycle. The case had
been closed by the attorney general in Rioja province, Pablo
Arevalo Flores, without taking into consideration these and other
important details in regard to the murder.
**Updates IFEX alert dated 5 September 1997**
Elsewhere, Jenny Valera, Pilco Mori’s widow, remarked on the
peculiarity of the fact that the 16 October edition of “La
Republica” disappeared from newsstands after certain individuals
bought copies of the newspaper in large quantities. As well,
family members have been regularly threatened not to continue in
their efforts to identify the killers of Pilco Mori.
Background Information
Pilco Mori, 35, was assaulted on 27 August in the outskirts of
Rioja and died on 3 September in a hospital in Lima. He was owner
and director of “Radio Frecuencia Popular” in Rioja, and hosted
the program “El pueblo quiere saber”, through which he criticized
local authorities, particularly judges and police (see IFEX
alert).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Mori, since there still remain several leads on which to follow
up and which could result in identifying those responsible
Appeals To
Ing. Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza de Armas
Lima 1, Peru
Fax: +511 4266770 (o Secretaria de Prensa +511 4266535)Copies to:
Dr. Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman of Peru
Office of the Ombudsman of Peru
Fax: +511 4264900
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
