UN expert group visits Argentina to assess arbitrary detention situation

[tenorly]

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, carry out its second official visit to assess the situation of deprivation of liberty in the country. The visit, taking place from May 8 to 18, will be the first such visit made by the expert group to Argentina since 2003.

The Working Group’s delegation, comprised of human rights experts Elina Steinerte and Sètondji Roland Adjovi, will visit a variety of places of deprivation of liberty, including prisons, health care institutions, and police stations, to meet with persons deprived of their liberty and to seek relevant information, for its assessment of the overall system.

During the ten-day visit, the experts will visit Buenos Aires city and province, as well as the provinces of Jujuy and Chubut, where they will meet with the federal and local authorities, civil society and others to build an objective understanding of the wide variety of issues concerning the deprivation of liberty in Argentina.

Milagro Sala

The Working Group is expected to visit the most prominent political prisoner in Argentina today, indigenous rights activist Milagro Sala. Sala was imprisoned without charges 16 months ago on orders from Jujuy Province Governor Gerardo Morales, and remains in prison despite lack of evidence and serious irregularities such as the use of bribed witnesses.

The Working Group ruled on October 21 that Sala's arrest was in fact arbitrary, and urged Argentine President Mauricio Macri (a close ally of the right-wing Morales) to release her immediately. This request was echoed by the Secretary General of the OAS and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which declared on December 4 that her detention violates international rights of protest and speech.

Journalist Raúl Noro, Sala's husband, was himself detained for four months without charges after leading a protest calling for her release on July 14.

The Group’s delegation will share with the media their preliminary observations at a press conference to be held at the UNIC Buenos Aires Auditorium, just north of downtown.

At: http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21572&LangID=E

[Judi Lynn]

1. Oh, jeez, this is so important. Hoping so hard they can make a desperately needed difference.

As soon as I saw the first line I immediately thought of Milagro Sala, and then hoped again, seeing Jujuy mentioned.

Hoping there are people in Argentina in key positions who would be more willing to cooperate with the UN Working Group than to serve the little dictator by keeping a lid on everything. Surely they all know the UN Working Group is created to operate above the lower motivation of personal gain from regional politics.

Milagro Sala belongs in her home, as she did from the first. There has never been the slightest reason to harm her, as everyone knows, most especially her aggressors.

It's easy to imagine that for anyone who ever had the national recognition rightfully accorded Milagro Sala, there are also so many others who have been easier to silence because of circumstances. The system which persecutes human rights advocates needs to be dismantled, defanged. Hope this visit will help the process. Gotta keep those fingers crossed until the 18th, hope help is on the way.

Thank you, tenorly.

[tenorly]

2. If only, Judi. My guess is that Macri and his toy, Morales, will take vacations to avoid them.

On the other hand, the recent statement from the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights' South American office against the recent Supreme Court "back-door amnesty" ruling for Dirty War convicts seems to have the Macri administration in a tizzy.

After voicing approval for the ruling last week, the administration has reversed tack and has now ordered the Justice Ministry to file amicus briefs against the cascade of court cases being filed by Dirty War convicts using the Muiña case to seek parole.

It's good to see the UN can still use its good offices to influence a semi-repressive administration like Macri's.