PERU - Fear for safety / Threats

Fear for safety / Threats

Juan Zamudio Bocángel (m)
Gisela Bocángel (f) his mother
Other family members

An attempt has been made on the life of alleged torture victim Juan Zamudio Bocángel. His mother Gisela Bocángel has been threatened and there are concerns for the safety of the whole family following an increasing campaign of intimidation against them. Juan Zamudio Bocángel was followed by three unknown men in a car as he made his way home with some friends in the Comas District of Lima on 8 April. The men reportedly called him by his name and tried to force him into the car. Juan Zamudio Bocángel’s friends helped him to escape, but not before he was shot in the back and the bullet penetrated his lung and liver. Juan Zamudio Bocángel was hospitalised for five days and is still recovering. On 19 April, Gisela Bocángel was followed by three unknown men in a car with covered number plates, whilst she was on her way home on foot. One of the men reportedly opened the back door of the car and asked her to come nearer. She refused and walked away. Prior to this incident, Gisela Bocángel had received several threat-ening anonymous phone calls over the past few months. Both incidents were reported to the authorities in April. However, to Amnesty International’s knowledge no investigation has been opened and the Bocángel family has not been granted any protection. The campaign of intimidation against them apparently started after the investigation into the allegation of torture made by Juan Zamudio Bocángel was extended to include four more police officers. Juan Zamudio Bocángel was allegedly tortured by police officers at La Pascana police station in the Comas Dis-trict on 19 February 2005. As a result, he lost consciousness and had to be taken to a hospital in Coma, where he spent three days recovering. He filed a complaint in March 2005. Seven police officers are under investiga-tion and the threats and acts of intimidation appear to be an attempt to make him drop the complaint against those accused of torturing him.

Background information

In the last few years, Amnesty International has documented scores of cases of torture and ill-treatment by the police (See AI report: Torture and Ill-treatment. Time to put words into practice, AMR 46/005/02, June 2002). Victims who report this crime, their relatives, lawyers and human rights defenders involved in legal actions against the alleged perpetrators are often threatened and intimidated. Amnesty International has called on the authorities to investigate these threats and protect the victims. However, to date, to the organization’s knowl-edge no perpetrators have been brought to justice. Legislation criminalising torture passed by the Peruvian Congress in 1998 has remained largely ineffective and alleged perpetrators continue to be charged with lesser offences. To Amnesty International’s knowledge only in six cases have perpetrators been convicted under Peru’s torture legislation. Since 1998, the Peruvian Ombuds-man has reportedly received over 400 complaints of torture by the police, including more than 40 cases in which the victims have died. The Public Ministry has only opened an investigation in 120 of these cases.

Recommended Actions

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language:

• expressing serious concern for the safety of Juan Zamudio Bocángel, his mother Gisela Bocángel, and other relatives following the recent attempt on his life and the increasing campaign of intimidation against them
• calling for a prompt, impartial and independent investigation into these incidents, for the results made public and those responsible brought to justice
• requesting that the outcome of the investigation be made public
• urging the authorities to do everything in their power to guarantee the safety of Juan Zamudio Bocángel and Gisela Bocángel, in accordance with own wishes.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check if sending appeals after 8 June 2006.

APPEALS TO

Minister of the Interior;
Dr. Rómulo Pizarro Tomasio;
Ministro del Interior;
Ministerio del Interior,
Plaza 30 de Agosto s/n,
Urb. Córpac, San Isidro,
Lima 27, PERU;
Fax: +51 1 225 7234;
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Sr. Ministro

Attorney General;
Dra. Flora Adelaida Bolívar Arteaga;
Fiscal de la Nación;
Fiscalía de la Nación,
Av. Abancay, cuadra 5 s/n,
Lima 1, PERU;
Fax: +51 1 427 1792;
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Sra. Fiscal de la Nación


COPIES TO

Human rights organization;
COMISEDH;
Jr. Horacio Urteaga 704,
Jesús María, Lima, PERU;
E-mail: comisedh@amauta.rcp.net.pe

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