Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2003 - Peru

Members of APRODEH assaulted and threatened¹⁴¹

On 27th January 2003, a group of sympathisers of Alberto Fujimori, the former president of Peru responsible for serious human rights violations, assaulted Mrs. Gloria Cano, a lawyer and member of the Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Peru (APRODEH, Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos). The assault took place as Mrs. Cano was about to enter the association's office. A group of around 20 people surrounded her and verbally abused her, but the intervention of association staff made them withdraw. A few minutes earlier, the "Fujimorists" had gathered outside the office of APRODEH to demonstrate against the association's activities. They tried unsuccessfully to enter the association's office, which was defended by the staff. They then announced that the demonstration was the beginning of hostilities that they intended to carry out against APRODEH and its members.

A week before this incident, APRODEH had initiated a campaign against impunity and corruption, demanding the extradition of Fujimori and the conviction of his accomplices. On 23rd January 2003, sympathisers of the former president had torn the campaign posters, had thrown them in front of the association's office and had plastered their own posters over the mural painted by artist Víctor Delfín in the association's entrance.

Mrs. Cano filed a complaint for assault with the police. Mr. Miguel Jugo, executive director of the institution, also asked the competent authorities to take the necessary measures. He said that under Mr. Fujimori's rule, at the time of the denunciation of the La Cantuta murders, the Colina group sent funeral wreaths inscribed with the names of the association's directors and made numerous threats by telephone and sent anonymous letters.

On 17th June 2003, Mr. Carlos Bocanegra Espinoza, a human rights activist in Tabalosos, San Martín Department, found a message on the door of his home ordering him to remove the posters calling for Mr. Fujimori's extradition and to desist from his activities with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. According to Gloria Cano: "The authors are trying to pass themselves off as members of the Shining Path by using the hammer and sickle symbol on the poster they left at Mr. Bocanegra's home. However, we have every reason to suspect sympathisers of Mr. Fujimori, who are irritated by Mr. Bocanegra's actions".

Mr. Bocanegra cooperates with Amnesty International in collecting signatures for the extradition of Alberto Fujimori. He put up several posters for the campaign, prepared by APRODEH, in his street. He is also involved in the campaign to find the disappeared, on the initiative of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. On 17th June, Mr. Bocanegra went to the police station and the town hall to report the incident and ask for assistance. APRODEH also asked the competent authorities to take the necessary measures.

None of the assailants has been identified and no case has been opened against them. In the case of Mrs. Cano, the authorities have granted police protection for APRODEH's office. In the case of Mr. Bocanegra, they offered their protection.

[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]

141. See Urgent Appeal PER 001/0103/OBS 005 and 005.1.