Impunity - Peru

WHEREAS judicial authorities in the United States apparently have evidence about who planned the murder of U.S. journalist Todd Smith in Peru on November 18, 1989 WHEREAS the reopening of the trial for the murder of Alberto Rivera Fernández in Peru after many postponements sought by the lawyers of those accused of instigating the crime and the election of Francisco Távara as chief judge of the Judicial Branch opens a new opportunity to punish the murderers WHEREAS after the release of the former mayor of Yungay, the alleged mastermind of the crime against Antonio de la Torre Echeandía, the journalist’s widow and children are still attacked verbally by the mayor, which is why they were provided with security for a very short time WHEREAS Principe 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, “Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators and such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly” THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to ask the Peruvian authorities to investigate and adopt an attitude of collaboration and exchange of information with their counterparts in the United States on the case of the murder of journalist Todd Smith to urge the Judicial Branch in Peru and especially its chief judge Francisco Távara, to guarantee due process and a speedy trial in the murder of Alberto Rivera Fernández to ask the Peruvian authorities to guarantee to the widow and children of journalist Antonio de la Torre Echeandía protection against the attacks against them for as long as necessary.