(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 May 1999, a group of journalists whose telephones were tapped, brought forth a charge on constitutional grounds. Charges were brought against the current minister of transportation and president of the Council of Ministers, and against former minister of defense, General César Saucedo Sánchez, in his capacity as the person in charge […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 May 1999, a group of journalists whose telephones were
tapped, brought forth a charge on constitutional grounds. Charges were
brought against the current minister of transportation and president of the
Council of Ministers, and against former minister of defense, General César
Saucedo Sánchez, in his capacity as the person in charge of the Army’s
Intelligence Service (SIN). The journalists were reacting to the
parliamentary decision to shelve the accusations of telephone tapping of
politicians, businesspersons and journalists (see IFEX alert of 31 May
1999).
**Updates IFEX alerts of 31 May and 14 January 1999, 29 May 1998, 21
November, 10 November, 6 November, 23 September and 16 September 1997**
During a press conference held in the Congress, independent member of
parliament Anel Townsend made the announcement accompanied by the
journalists who are pressing charges: César Hildebrandt, former director of
“En Persona”; Monica Vecco and Rosana Cueva, investigative journalists for
“En Persona” and “Contrapunto”, respectively; Iván García and Luis Iberico,
former editors of “Contrapunto”; Mariela Balbi, of “La República”, and
Guillermo Gonzales Arica, of the “Caretas” magazine.
Also announced during the press conference was another legal initiative
being taken by the journalists, asking the Inter-American Commission of
Human Rights (IACHR) to prohibit the intelligence services from continuing
to tap telephones, especially given the disclosure of two new SIN plans
called Journalist 1 and Journalist 2. A third initiative would be to inform
the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) of SIN’s new plans, which have
been in place since the beginning of an investigation by the Congressional
Committee of Defense, which resulted in the presentation of an exonerating
report.
In addition to the journalists already mentioned, Enrique Zileri, director
of “Caretas”; Eduardo Guzmán of Panamerican TV – Channel 5, Ángel Páez, of
“La República”, and Jimmy Torres and Benito Portocarrero of “Caretas”, also
signed in support of the charges.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Appeals To
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 6535Ricardo Marcenaro Frers
President of the Congress of the Republic
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 8290Blanca Nélida Colán Maguiño
President of the Public Ministry’s Executive Committee
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 4620 / 428 0969 / 428 4851 / 426 4860 Extensions 4923 / 4932Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 6657
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
