Report: Peru would refuse to free Berenson

modbee ^ | 11-20-04

[LouAvul]

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru will not abide by an international human rights court ruling supporting the release of Lori Berenson, a New York woman imprisoned for collaborating with Marxist guerrillas, the country's foreign minister said, according to news reports Saturday.

The Inter-American Human Rights Court, the Costa Rica-based legal arm of the Organization of American States, is scheduled to deliberate Berenson's case Nov. 24-25 to decide whether she received a fair civilian retrial in 2001. Peru is an OAS member.

"If this error were made, the Peruvian state, with legal justification, would take the position of not liberating any person accused of terrorism," several newspapers quoted Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez saying Friday from Santiago, Chile, where he attended the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

"In no case would any disposition be observed that recommends freedom of people accused of terrorism in Peru."

Berenson, 34, was arrested in 1995 for allegedly helping the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. Former President Alberto Fujimori identified her as a leader in a foiled plan to seize Peru's Congress and exchange hostages for imprisoned MRTA members.

Berenson was convicted by hooded military judges, who denied her a chance to present evidence or cross-examine witnesses. She was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

[rawhide]

[PallMal]

Berenson is from NY. As a matter of fact, we graduated from the same high school (Laguardia HS a.k.a Music & Art in New York).

[GeronL]

good news

[Proud Conservative2]

I tip my hat to Peru!

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

I think that query should be referred to Cacique.

Our resident expert on South American cultural heritage/history.

[FierceDraka]

Collaberating with Marxist "rebels"? Tough sh*t for her, I guess. That's what you get for sleeping with pigs.

[iopscusa]

Lori B. should have learned a lot of lessons at an early age. Obviously she was infected by stoopid politics of the left. Hope Peru quits wasting time on retrials and let her serve her time cause she did the crime! Payback was obviously an idea she never learned!

[Clemenza]

Viva Peru! The country that produced the two best girls I ever dated (one of whom I should've married) has been an underrated allie of the US. Its a shame that the Clinton administration screwed Fujimori over a few years back.

[OldFriend]

Today's NYPost refers to her as a New Yorker. Also mentions that she attended MIT......

If the so called elite professors would stop engendering hate for our country, our democracy, and our anti-communism......these moronic students who join the anarchists, etc. could lead more productive lives.

[cyborg]

I went to school where her mom teaches. Her mom actually has the warped mind.

[Ptarmigan]

Mother raised daughter. Daughter is product of mother. Gon figure. Was it high school, did she teach at?

[cyborg]

Nassau Community College... I used to see her stupid posters up all over campus.

[xm177e2]

Let's point out that Lori was accused and found guilty of helping a guerilla group carry out a bombing campaign against non-military targets. What we would call "terrorists." And we have no sympathy for terrorists, especially American terrorists.

[t-1000]

When she serves her 25 years in Peru, she should face criminal charges here in the US for treason.
Trying to over-through an government that has active treaties with the US against the law.

[t-1000]

Since she is such a big Marxist then she it really should not matter if she gets a fair trial or not. Cuba, China, and North Korea don't concern themselves with "fair" trials.