After closely monitoring the situation in Peru, Amnesty International has deployed a specialized crisis response team to investigate serious human rights violations and possible crimes under international law committed in the context of the wave of protests that began last December.
“The world is watching Peru. Given the seriousness of the allegations of human rights violations we are receiving, we have sent our specialized continental crisis response team, which is only deployed in situations of extreme gravity, when there are indications of possible crimes under international law. Our team will investigate human rights violations, with the intention of contributing to the efforts of Peruvian organizations in identifying the alleged criminal responsibility of the authorities, including at the highest level,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.
To date, at least 46 demonstrators and one police officer have died during the repression of protests and nine more people have lost their lives in events linked to the social crisis in the country, according to Peru’s Ombudsman’s Office.
Amnesty International’s crisis response team will collect testimonies and access documents to corroborate allegations of human rights violations and possible crimes under international law, in order to accompany the victims and demand that the Peruvian authorities guarantee their rights to justice, truth, reparation and non-repetition. In addition, Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps is continuing to analyze photographic and video evidence of possible human rights violations.
“We urge President Dina Boluarte to put a stop to the violent repression of demonstrations by the security forces. To resolve the crisis facing the country, her government must focus all its efforts on listening to and genuinely addressing the demands of the population, especially those historically discriminated against because of their ethnic and racial origin. Substantial and structural changes are urgently needed so that all people in Peru can enjoy their human rights and live in dignity,” said Marina Navarro, executive director of Amnesty International Peru.
At the conclusion of its crisis team’s visit, Amnesty International will announce a press conference in Lima where it will present the preliminary findings of its investigation.