growing number of people "unjustly" detained on terrorism charges, a Christian human rights watchdog said Wednesday, March 9.
UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said Pastor Jose Garcia Pena, who leads an evangelical church in the town of Cuzco, was arrested last week when he and his wife visited Peru’s capital Lima to meet a congressman.
"When Pastor Garcia presented himself for security clearance, he was informed there was a warrant for his arrest and was promptly arrested and imprisoned," said CSW in a statement to BosNewsLife. Peruvian authorities not known to have commented on the reported March 3 arrest.
Garcia’s name apparently appeared on a court list of wanted terrorists in the northern cities of
Piura and Lambayeque. But "Pastor Garcia says he has never visited the area, which is hundreds of kilometers to the northwest of Cuzco and denies he has been involved in terrorist activities," CSW added.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
It suggested the pastor was the latest victim of "mistaken" identity. “CSW has campaigned for years on the issue of wrongful imprisonment in Peru. Many people have been unjustly held for more than ten years with very little evidence against them or because they share their name with someone who is on a wanted list," said CSW National Director Stuart Windsor.
CSW’s Peruvian partner ‘Paz y Esperanza’, or Peace and Hope, said Pastor Garcia’s arrest highlights "ongoing problems" in the South American country’s justice system. “With this situation, it is possible that any one of us might lose our freedom and find ourselves in this unjust situation," added Paz y Esperanza lawyer Wuille Ruiz.
"We can be arrested just because there is a warrant or a detention order against us
with no other information against us apart from our name."
ARREST WARRANTS
Over 12,300 Peruvians have warrants out for their arrest, dating from former President Alberto Fujimori’s crackdown on terrorism, which have yet to be addressed by Peru’s parliament Paz y Esperanza said. Human rights watchers say hundreds of innocent people were imprisoned since Fujimori implemented "a series of draconian policies".
The measures included using faceless judges and civilian informers, to wipe out militant leftist groups ‘The Shining Path’ and the ‘Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement,’ human rights watchers say.
"While this was successful in capturing many guerrillas, including those in key leadership positions, hundreds of innocent people were also caught up and imprisoned," said CSW. "While prisoners are able to submit their cases for review many of the 12,300 Peruvians on the wanted list have no idea their names are included. It is virtually impossible to have one’s name removed", CSW claimed. (With Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife).
