Chile: Mapuche Acquitted a Second Time (terrorism charge)

[Judi Lynn]

Chile: Mapuche Acquitted a Second Time
25 Jul 2005 15:15:16 GMT

Source: Human Rights Watch

(Temuco, Chile, July 22, 2005) - The acquittal in southern Chile of five Mapuche defendants and a non-Mapuche sympathizer who were charged under Chile's antiterrorism law is a victory for justice, Human Rights Watch and Indigenous Peoples' Rights Watch said today. At the trial, which ended today, a court in Temuco ruled two to one to reject charges of illicit terrorist association brought against the defendants, members of an indigenous community affected by longstanding land conflicts.

"The Chilean government should take careful note of today's verdict and stop using the country's antiterrorism law in cases for which it clearly is inapplicable," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch.

The Temuco criminal court concluded that the evidence did not prove the existence of an illicit terrorist association. The six defendants were accused of forming an illegal association to plan and commit acts of terrorism in order to resolve land conflicts in favor of the Mapuche. Most of the alleged crimes were against property and none posed a direct threat to life.

"The court's decision demonstrates that the accusations of terrorism against the Mapuche formulated by the attorney general's office and the interior ministry in recent years were unfounded," said José Aylwin, director of the Chilean nongovernmental organization Indigenous Peoples' Rights Watch.
(snip)

->In the trial that just ended, the prosecution called some "faceless witnesses": witnesses whose identities are concealed from the defendants and their lawyers. Special procedures such as the use of faceless witnesses are provided for by Chile's antiterrorism law. <-
(snip/...)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/c77a2828b9bd1a308cdd9ead7d8182f8.htm

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_{George Bush} has tried to tell Americans we should follow Chile's model for social security (privatization). Now he's be all wild to adopt their "faceless witness" trial "related program activities."