[News] Court rules against Lori Berenson

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Friday, December 3, 2004

Dear Friends and Supporters of Lori Berenson:


INTER-AMERICAN COURT REVERSES INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION IN LORI'S CASE

Yesterday was a tragic day for human rights in the Western Hemisphere
and in the world.  In the early morning President Toledo preempted the
Inter-American Court's official decision and addressed his nation on TV
and radio, praising the Court for Peru's "victory" over Lori and
terrorism.  We were finally notified of the verdict late in the
afternoon.  Peruvian sources state that Lori's case marked the first
time in its history that the Inter-American Court reversed a decision of
the Inter-American Commission.

AN INEXPLICABLE RESULT AND A SAD DAY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

By supporting the position of the Peruvian government against the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of
American States, which ruled unanimously, 7 - 0, to condemn the system
under which Lori was twice tried, the Inter-American Court of Human
Rights, the highest judicial body in the Western Hemisphere, has
incomprehensibly reversed its own position for the past 12 years and
demonstrated support for the judicial processes promulgated by the
totalitarian regime of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and
his "advisor" Vladimiro Montesinos.

There was one dissenting vote.  The Chilean Justice strongly argued that
the laws under which Lori were tried violated the American Convention on
Human Rights and because of that Lori should be granted immediate
liberty.

We are greatly saddened, not only for Lori, but for all people
wrongfully convicted and denied due process and fundamental rights
throughout the Western Hemisphere who look to the Inter-American Human
Rights system for help.  This system has failed.

This is a defeat we could not have expected in our wildest dreams.  We
spoke with Lori and she stoically said the same.  She was quite calm but
extremely saddened for the hundreds of Peruvian political prisoners who
looked at her case with hope that a correct decision would eventually
allow them to receive real justice in Peru.

A HOPE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

Once again, we want to express our appreciation for your friendship and
support that have helped sustain us over these nine years and many
sleepless or nightmarish nights.

Despite this agonizing personal disappointment today, and despite the
horrific problems we read about daily which occur around the world, we
will never lose the hope that as long as people, like Lori, stand up to
injustice, the children of our planet will have a better tomorrow.


Rhoda and Mark Berenson
English Website:  www.freelori.org
Spanish Website:  www.lorilibre.org


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