The Peruvian prison authorities have announced, and the U.S. Embassy
has confirmed, that Lori began a hunger strike on Tuesday morning, January
11th, the day that we were holding vigils across the country to protest
her wrongful imprisonment.
No one should be surprised that Lori decided to commence a hunger strike
on the 11th of January - after all, it was the fourth anniversary of her
unjust conviction and sentence to life imprisonment.
She is innocent and this wrongful act is something that is uppermost
in her daily thoughts.
Although the Peruvian media indicated today that Lori made demands
upon the prison system, we want you to know that this is not true. The
written statement Lori gave to the prison director makes no such demands.
In it she confirms her commitment to human rights and outlines the violations
of fundamental rights in the Peruvian prison system including complete
isolation and the physical, moral, and psychological destruction of the
prisoner.
As Lori's parents, while we are not surprised, we are very anxious about her health, which is already impaired and undermined by spending these past four years under extremely harsh and debilitating conditions. We respect her courage and her commitment to her beliefs to help the poor, and end injustice and suffering.
Rhoda y Mark Berenson
URGENT CAMPAIGN: FREEDOM FOR LORI BERENSON
FOUR YEARS AFTER THE ARBITRARY DETENTION OF THE north-american journalist Lori Berenson, she has begun a hunger strike, denouncing the hard prison conditions, the peruvian prison system and the illegal system of civil and military courts with their "judges without faces". Lori's state of health - as that of all prisoners - is quite bad. So this means an even greater risk for life and health of Lori.
In this situation, we call upon international solidarity to realize
protest actions at the peruvian consulates demanding freedom for Lori.
Send letters to President Fujimori, to the peruvian consulates in the city
you live. Including a copy to Lori Berenson.
Suggestion for a letter:
Sr. Alberto Fujimori
President of the Republic of Peru
Plaza Mayor
Lima Peru
Mr. President
I am very preoccupied because of the situation of the journalist Lori Berenson. Who was arbitrarily detained in 1995 as she was carrying out her work as a journalist.
Lori was put on trial and condemned to life imprisonment by a military court with "judges without face", without due legal guarantees. Her rights were not respected in the course of this illegal detention.
In these four years of unjust imprisonment, there have been statements
of human right organizations like amnesty international and WOLA, declaring
Lori as "prisoner of conscience". As citizen of ........... I join campaign
for the freedom of Lori Berenson because this is an act of elementary justice.
Name ..................................... Address: ................................
Please send copies to:
1. The Consul of Peru in ...............
2. Lori Berenson, Penal Socabaya de Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru
3. Asociacion Andian de Derechos Humanos: [email protected]
FREEDOM FOR LORI BERENSON and
all political prison