AI: Guatemala bulletin 1/25/00 Fri, 4 Feb 2000 08:08:27 -0500 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit +------------------------------------------------------+ + AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION BULLETIN + + Electronic distribution authorised + + This bulletin expires: 7 March 2000. + +------------------------------------------------------+ PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 34/03/00 25 January 2000 UA 19/00 Fear for safety GUATEMALA Arturo Recinos, lawyer Mario A. Menchu Francisco, lawyer Luis A. Vazquez Menendez, lawyer Luis R. Romero Rivera, lawyer Carlos N. Palencia Salazar, lawyer. Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of the five lawyers named above, who have reportedly received anonymous death threats for defending members of a kidnapping gang who have been sentenced to death. Two of the gang recently escaped from prison, and sources suggest that this spurred death penalty advocates to threaten the men's lawyers, whom they see as protecting people who deserve to die. The death penalty has widespread public support in Guatemala. Arturo Recinos, who had lodged an appeal on behalf of one of the condemned men, apparently received anonymous telephone death threats for several weeks. He was so afraid for his life that he resigned as defence counsel for his client. After this the other four lawyers, who were appealing on behalf of other members of the gang who had been sentenced to death, also started receiving threatening phone calls, and were followed by cars. They have also been forced to resign, in fear for their lives. Two of the lawyers, Mario A. Menchu Francisco and Arturo Recinos, have already denounced the threats and intimidation to the authorities, but they have received no response. They report that the threats and intimidation have increased in recent days. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Five members of the Los Pasaco gang were sentenced to death in March 1998, convicted of kidnapping four people in April 1996. Three more members of the gang were sentenced to death in September 1998, convicted of the kidnapping and also the January 1997 murder of businesswoman Isabel Bonifasi de Botran. +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + Supporters of Amnesty International around the world are + + writing urgent appeals in response to the concerns + + described above. If you would like to join with them in + + this action or have any queries about the Urgent Action + + network or Amnesty International in general, please + + contact one of the following: + + + + Ray Mitchell, ua@amnesty.org.uk (UK) + + Scott Harrison, sharrison@igc.apc.org (USA) + + Guido Gabriel, ggabriel@amnesty.cl.sub.de (Germany) + + Marilyn McKim, mmckim@amnesty.ca (Canada) + + ua@aibf.be (Belgium) + + Anne Nolan, ua@amnesty.iol.ie (Ireland) + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-02.04.00-08:08:25-28695