[psych-hr] Terrorism: Guatemalan death squads

Friends,

Alarmed as we all are by horrific acts of terrorism, let us not forget
the other terrorists--harbored by the United States, easier to identify
and control than the elusive Taliban.  Amnesty International is
concerned for the life of Barbara Bocek, a Guatemala country specialist
with A-I U.S.A.  She is being threatened by Guatemalan death squads
operating in the USA.

PLEASE send a letter to help save her life.  These threats are more
vigorous than the one made against me a few years ago, but not as
devastating as those made against the A-I worker who forwarded this
information to me.  She was assaulted and nearly stabbed to death by
these terrorists.  Attached is background information and talking points
for a letter.  PLEASE  write or call:

Ambassador Ariel Rivera Irias
Embassy of Guatemala
2220 R St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: 1 202 745-4952
FAX: 1 202 745-1908
e-mail  ambassador@guatemala-embassy.org

Thank you,
Adrianne Aron


---------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 22:24:55 -0400
To: Recipient List Suppressed:;
From: "M. Larson" <mlarson@igc.org>
Subject: for torture rehab. list - urgent action on AIUSA activist

Dear friends and colleagues:

Barb Bocek is both a friend and colleague of mine, and she is the
subject of this urgent action issued by AIUSA.

She is a Guatemala country specialist for AIUSA, was temporarily
abducted last June in Guatemala while on an AI research mission
investigating human rights abuses, and has received a dozen threats
at her place of home and work in the US threatening her with torture
and murder.  Her situation is quite serious, and I would appreciate
it if you could respond to this urgent action and circulate it to her
collegues.

Many thanks - Meredith Larson


Subject: Special Action on AIUSA activist
To: uanetwork@aiusa.org
From: sharriso@aiusa.org
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 13:17:04 -0600

SPECIAL ACTION

----------------------------------
12 October 2001

NSA # 9/01     Fear for safety

Guatemala/United States
Barbara Bocek (AIUSA human rights activist)

Amnesty International is deeply concerned for the safety of US citizen
Barbara Bocek, who has received repeated death threats in the
United States and was the victim of an attempted abduction in
Guatemala on June 11. Barbara Bocek is a country specialist on
Guatemala for Amnesty International USA.

Barbara Bocek received the first in a series of anonymous death
threats by telephone on 1 May, shortly after a U.S. newspaper
published an op-ed piece she had written. Ms. Bocek's op ed called
for justice in the trial of three military officers for the murder of
Guatemalan bishop Juan Jose Gerardi.  Since then, she has received
death threats in the U.S. in the form of anonymous phone calls,
faxes, notes placed on her car while parked in various locations, and
written messages left around her home. Several of the threats have
made reference to Ms. Bocek's op-ed piece and the case of Bishop
Gerardi and warned her to stay out of Guatemalan affairs.  In one of
the telephoned threats, the caller warned Ms. Bocek, 'Neither the
authorities nor a pile of letters will save you worthless people mixed
up in the Gerardi case if it goes badly,' (Ni las autoridades ni un
monton de cartas les va salvar a los desgraciados metidos en el caso
Gerardi si este va para abajo) and 'See you in Guatemala. We're
waiting for you there.'  (Nos vemos en Guatemala, ahi te esperamos.)

On 11 June, while participating in an Amnesty International research
mission to Guatemala, Ms. Bocek was seized outside her hotel room
by two men, one of them armed. She was later found bound and
gagged in the fire escape stairwell of the hotel, where her abductors
left her when their plans apparently went awry. Ms. Bocek reported
this attempted kidnapping to the Guatemalan authorities. In the
aftermath of the attack, Interior Minister Byron Barrientos dismissed
the abduction as a deliberate fabrication by Amnesty International.

While Ms. Bocek survived the attack of 11 June, she has still faced
constant acts of intimidation against her in the United States. To this
date she has received a total of twelve death threats. The most
recent incident occurred on 8 October when Ms. Bocek discovered a
large knife thrust through the screen of one of the windows of her
home.

Amnesty International is gravely concerned that the abuses against
Ms. Bocek form part of a campaign to silence her activism on behalf
of human rights in Guatemala and to intimidate other human rights
defenders.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In May 2000 charges were filed in two important human rights cases
in Guatemala, one concerning the murder of Bishop Gerardi, the
other concerning massacres committed under the Lucas Garcia
government. Since then, AI has noted a sharp increase in abuses
directed against Guatemalan human rights activists and others
involved in or reporting on these anti-impunity initiatives. Many
human rights defenders have received death threats and been
subjected to acts of intimidation; the offices of a number of
organizations have been broken into and important data stolen,
altered or destroyed. The Guatemalan authorities have been
ineffective in investigating or preventing such harassment.

Furthermore, AI is aware of at least one other recent case in which
individuals associated with important Guatemalan human rights
cases reported threats in the United States (see NSA #4/01).
Amnesty International is concerned that these acts may form part of
an international campaign of intimidation aimed at undermining the
work of Guatemalan human rights defenders and others involved in
or reporting on human rights inquiries or corruption issues.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
emails/faxes/express/airmail letters:

-    explaining AI's concerns about the continuing series of threats
against Ms. Bocek in the United States
-    noting that while the FBI is investigating the matter there is
concern that the threats may be orchestrated from Guatemala by
individuals who are members of official agencies or who are close to
such agencies.
-    calling upon Guatemalan authorities to undertake an immediate
and thorough investigation into the threats against Ms. Bocek,
including the June 11 abduction in Guatemala and its apparent
connection to the death threats she has received in the United States,
and to determine whether official state agents, or people working
closely with them, are in fact responsible for the abuses.
-    insisting that those responsible for these acts be brought to
justice.
-    expressing concern for the safety of all those working to protect
human rights and  freedom of expression, particularly those who have
suffered recent threats or intimidation.

APPEALS TO:

Ambassador Ariel Rivera Irias
Embassy of Guatemala
2220 R St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: 1 202 745 4952
Fax:   1 202 745 1908
Email : ambassador@ guatemala-embassy.org



Go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
to read this month's newsletter.

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.


Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax:     303 258 7881



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