The call was made by the organization’s general secretary, Agnès Callamard, who also presented the report showing the version of events according to the human rights group. In this context, the president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, was called to testify before the Prosecutor’s Office on the alleged charges of genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries.
First modification:
An endorsement from Amnesty International (AI) to the claim of the relatives of those who died during the anti-government protests in Peru.
Human rights organization published a report in which he called on the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office to investigate “all those, up to the highest level, who ordered or tolerated the illegitimate use of lethal force by the security forces.”
During the presentation of the document titled “Lethal racism: Extrajudicial executions and illegitimate use of force by the security forces of Peru”AI Secretary General, Agnes Callamardstated that “far from being isolated incidents attributed to rogue agents acting on their own, the number of deaths on multiple dates and different locations suggests a deliberate and coordinated state response.”
Peru’s Attorney General’s Office should investigate all those, up to the highest level, who ordered or tolerated the illegitimate use of lethal force by security forces that resulted in 49 deaths during the protests from December to February. https://t.co/3pujU9Z7uq
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) May 25, 2023
Callamard further told the country’s top leadership that instead of condemning the use of excessive force during demonstrations, they encouraged it by “publicly praising the security forces.” This occurred at the time when they described the disaffected as terrorists, misinforming in an “intentional” way.
AI’s general secretary also pointed out that the reported deaths were mostly onlookers, passers-by and protesters from humble sectors of Peruvian society. According to Agnès Callamardthis “suggests a social and socioeconomic bias in the use of lethal force.”
Executions and omission by security forces
The report also highlights that some 20 cases may be “extrajudicial executions.” AI is based on where victims were shot at sensitive points on the body such as the head, neck and abdomen.
The Peruvian authorities must investigate the possibility that officers ordered or at least tolerated these killings, no matter how high up the chain of command it takes them.
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) May 25, 2023
In this sense, Amnesty International stressed that certain senior commanders had been “criminally complicit in concealing the weapons used to commit homicides.””. This claim is based on military and police records to which AI had access.
On the table was the example that “only two agents of the Directorate of Special Operations reported that they had fired four 7.62 caliber ammunition with their AK rifles” in the city of Juliaca, while that day, January 9, 15 people died and dozens were injured in that town.
Prosecutor summons Dina Boluarte
In this context, it was announced that this Wednesday the National Prosecutor’s Office summoned the president, Dina Boluarte, for the alleged crime of genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries. The president must present her version of the events that led to the death of dozens of people on May 31.
The president’s lawyer argued that they wait with “expectation” for the day of the summons, however, Boluarte asked to reschedule the meeting with justice due to agenda issues. It is not yet known if the testimony process will take place in the Government Palace or in the Public Ministry.
The Prime Minister, Alberto Otálora, declared in this context that the Head of State “will not make use of any right of silence.” “She’s going to say what she has to say,” he argued.
with EFE
