In Peru, parole of terrorist American Lori Berenson sparks anger

Christian Science Monitor ^ | 5/26/2010 | Lucien Chauvin

[markomalley]

A Peruvian judge’s decision to parole Lori Berenson, an American imprisoned in Peru since November 1995 on terrorism charges, has provoked an avalanche of negative reactions here.

Judge Jessica León accepted on Tuesday Ms. Berenson’s request to be released after having served three-quarters of her 20-year sentence. Berenson, however, must remain in Peru through the end of her sentence, in 2015, and report to judicial authorities every 30 days. A list of other conditions also restricts where she can live and the people with whom she can associate.

The conditions were not enough for most of Peru’s media, which published scathing articles against the decision. Most dailies used the word “terrorist” in their headlines to describe the 40-year old Berenson and one, Expreso, said Peruvians would never forget Judge Leon’s name for this affront to the nation.

Marcos Ibazeta, a retired judge who presided over Berenson’s retrial in 2001 and handed down the 20-year sentence for her ties to the Marxist Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), says that he does not agree with parole for Berenson or other inmates serving sentences on terrorism charges.

“Terrorist organizations inflicted a great deal of suffering and loss on Peru. I believe that parole should be the exception and not the rule in these cases, with judges being much more rigorous in their analysis,” he says.

[rawhide]

US citizen Lori Berenson enters a courtroom at Santa Monica Prison in Lima, Tuesday

[rawhide]

Initially sentenced to life in prison, Berenson was ordered retried in 2000 and received the current 20-year sentence the following year. She married a former MRTA inmate, Aníbal Apari, in a prison wedding in 2003, and gave birth to their son, Salvador, a year ago. The two are separated. Apari, now a lawyer working for a non-profit that defends inmates accused of terrorism, represented Berenson at the parole hearing.

[mkjessup]

So how soon will Lori Berenson be nominated for a high ranking position in the 0bama regime?

“Birds of a feather...”

[raybbr]

...an American imprisoned in Peru since November 1995 on terrorism charges...

Has she ever been convicted?

[HogsBreath]

American liberal goes south to promote Marxism. When caught, wraps herself in American flag. Pretty familiar story.

[BullDog108]

Twice.

[Monterrosa-24]

"...familiar story." Yes it is much like the case of young Jennifer Jean Casolo in El Salvador. She ran a safe house for the guerrillas. The Policia de Hacienda video taped her arrest knowing it was a sensitive case involving an American. She had over 2000 pounds of explosives/munitions in her house...some even in the spare tire of her little pick up. She was guilty as Hades and yet the American Embassy applied pressure and sprang her in three weeks. I wanted her linked to the murder of an infant and executed but the stinking State Department has her walk. It was an outrage.