Amnesty International (AI) urges for political intervention in support of Oscar Mollohuanca, the mayor of Espinar, southern Peru. See below for the full AI press release:

MAYOR DETAINED, RISKS ILL-TREATMENT

The mayor of the southern town of Espinar has been detained since 30 May. He risks ill-treatment and could face an unfair trial.

According to local human rights NGOs, Espinar’s mayor, Oscar Mollohuanca, was detained on 30 May inside the municipal building by at least 30 police officers, who showed no arrest warrant and gave no reason for detaining him. They took him to a police station at the Tintaya Marquiri mining camp for a few hours and then took him by helicopter to the provincial capital, Cuzco. The next evening, he was transferred to the northern region of Ica, where his case will now be heard, after a change of jurisdiction.

Local NGOs fear this might be part of a campaign to stigmatize the mayor, who had publicly criticized the current agreement between the government and the mining company operating in the area. Another 25 people have been detained since 28 May in Espinar, following violent clashes between police and demonstrators during protests over mining operations in the area. All have now been conditionally released, and are being investigated. Most have said they were beaten by the police.

Among the 25 were two members of the human rights NGO Vicaria de Solidaridad de Sicuani, Jaime Cesar Borda Pari and Romualdo Tito Pinto, and a community leader, Sergio Huamani, who were arrested on 28 May outside Tintaya Marquiri mining camp by police claiming they had found 10 live rounds in the NGO’s car. Jaime Cesar Borda Pari and Romualdo Tito Pinto had gone with two other members of Vicaria de Solidaridad de Sicuani, a local prosecutor and Sergio Huamani to the Tintaya Marquiri mining camp to asses the situation of police detainees there. They were released on 30 May but are under investigation over evidence that they claimed was planted.

Please write immediately in Spanish, English or your own language:

Urging the authorities to ensure that due process is respected in the legal action against Oscar Mollohuanca, that he is free from any ill treatment while on detention and that he is charged with a recognizable criminal offence or release otherwise;

Urging them to investigate allegations that people have been arbitrarily detained and ill-treated in Espinar and bring those responsible to justice, in particular urging them to investigate the lawfulness of the search and arrest of Jaime Cesar Borda Pari and Romualdo Tito Pinto and Sergio Huamani.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 13 JULY 2012 TO:

Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Dr Juan Federico Jiménez Mayor
Ministro de Justicia y Derechos Humanos
Scipión Llona 350, Miraflores, Lima 18
Peru
Fax: +511 204 81 10
Email: jfjimene@minjus.gob.pe

Attorney General
Dr José Antonio Peláez Bardales
Fiscal de la Nación
Av. Abancay cdra. 5 s/n, Lima
Peru
Fax: +511 4271792
Email: ministeriopublico@mpfn.gob.pe

And copies to:
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Calle Pezet y Monel 2467 (ex-Tupac Amaru), Lince.
Lima 14, Perú.
Fax: + 511 419 1112