christic@igc.org (06/29/91)
/* Written 6:54 am Jun 25, 1991 by cuanes in cdp:carnet.alerts */ /* ---------- "CUANES Update 6-24-91" ---------- */ CUANES Update 6-24-91 The following information is taken from a statement issued by ASDI (Salvadoran Association for Integral Development) June 22 regarding the capture and detention of 29 persons. On June 15 at 7 am, elements of the Treasury Police and the National Police raided and searched without a warrant ASDI's Techinical Training Center, in the department of San Salvador. Proceeding in a violent manner, and without an order to apprehend, they bound and blindfolded six technicians from the center who were conducting a seminar on administrative training, and 18 participants (including a two year old girl who was with her mother) from different displaced and repatriated communities. The participants included people from Comunidad Nuevo Gualcho, a community that repatriated to northern Usulutan in March 1990, from the San Antonio refugee camp in Honduras; members from the Peasant Communal Association (ACC), and the Salvadoran Repopulated Coordination (CORESA). In addition, the caretaker of the Center and all his family - 18 and 15 year old sons and a 3 year old daughter - were captured. Members of the security forces also took property belonging to the Center and the house of the caretaker, destroyed furnishings, and confiscated three vehicles, 2 belonging to the communities and 1 private. The 29 people were put into vehicles and taken to the central headquarters of the National Police, where they were mistreated physically and psychologically, and accused of subversive association. They remained there for 72 hours during which time they were constantly interrogated. After 72 hours, the National Police remanded the 29 persons to the 2nd Justice of the Peace, where Judge Elmer Aristarco Chavarris Flores established another 72 hours for further investigation. For this period the judge remanded the five women to the Ilopango prison, the 22 men to Mariona prison, and the two children to Minor's Assistance (Tutelar de Menores). On June 21, six days after their detention, Judge Elmer Aristarco Chavarris Flores ordered the 27 persons released because he had not found any reason for their detention since at the time of their capture they were participating in a legal activity - attending a technical training seminar on administration. Following this acknowledgement by the judge, other staff members from ASDI picked up all 27 people from the two prisons, and the children from Minor's Assistance. ASDI states that these events evidenced the legality of their work while demonstrating that the security forces violated the laws in Articles 2, 7, 11, and 20 of the Constitution of El Salvador as well as the most basic civil rights of the people detained. ASDI reinforces that their technicians were conducting an adminstrative training seminar for people that have a legitimate right to look for ways to improve the conditions in their communities. ASDI is alert to the possibilty that the actions of the security forces may be an indication of a campaign to obstruct their ability to do their humanitarian work with displaced and repatriated communities. "During this period we received signs of solidarity from many sister institutions, embassies, churches, committees, human right organizations, etc. We are very grateful for all their help."