Lori Berenson
As the parents of Lori Berenson,
we would like to comment on
the Taking Note editorial, “Lori
Berenson in Context” [March/April
1996]. Lori was arrested on
November 30, 1995 while on a bus
in Lima after observing the Peruvian
Congress in her capacity as a free-
lance journalist. She was preparing
articles on women’s rights and
poverty in Peru for two U.S.-based
periodicals. After her arrest, she was
“tried” by a secret military court
and sentenced by a faceless judge.
There was no opportunity to refute
alleged evidence or even to know in
detail what evidence there was to
refute. Nor was there an opportuni-
ty to cross-examine witnesses. Her
lawyer was not able to advise her.
There was absolutely no due
process. In fact, with a 97% convic-
tion rate and totally secret proceed-
ings, trial by the military in Peru is
tantamount to conviction.
Because of the secrecy of these
proceedings, the only information
known about the allegations made
against Lori has been “leaked” to
the press by the Peruvian military.
Unfortunately, your article, like
many others, repeats some of these
allegations as if they were the truth.
In particular, Lori has denied both
allegations that she met Tdpac
Amaru Revolutionary Movement
(MRTA) guerrillas in Panama and
that she was involved with their
organization. In fact, Lori has
repeatedly stated to the police, the
judges, and the U.S. consulate that
she is innocent of the charges of
treason and terrorism and that she
was never a member of the MRTA.
Lori is now serving a life sen-
tence, with no chance of parole, in
an Andean prison where the temper-
ature indoors rarely reaches 40
degrees Fahrenheit. She lives in a 6
by 10 foot, all-concrete cell with a
sliver ceiling-window. There is no
heat and no running water. The food
is minimal and of poor quality. She
is allowed out of her cell only a half
hour each day for exercise. We
worry continually about her physi-
cal and mental well-being under
these extremely harsh conditions.
Since her mail is censored, we must
write to her only in Spanish, a lan-
guage we do not speak. We cannot
visit her for one year. After that
time, we will be allowed to visit her
for 20 to 30 minutes a month (at the
discretion of the Comandante)-but
we will see only her “shadow”
behind a screen. We will never be
able to see her or touch her again.
Lori has never said that she wants
no help in her efforts to move her
case to a civilian court. She under-
stands that her case, and the public-
ity it generates, demonstrates to the
world how Peru, by means of these
secret military trials, continues to
violate international standards of
human rights and justice.
Her lawyers are currently seeking
to have the military court’s decision
nullified so the case can be heard in
a civilian court. If this effort fails,
her lawyers will file claims of
human rights violations with the
UN Human Rights Committee and
the Inter-American Court of the
Organization of American States.
We greatly admire Lori for all that
we know she has already accom-
plished in her young life, and we are
certain that the world would be a
better place if there were more Lori
Berensons ready to give of them-
selves for the benefit of others.
Rhoda and Mark Berenson
New York, New York
Addendum
The photograph by Lori Waselchuk/
Impact Visuals on the cover of the
March/April 1996 issue depicts a
protest organized by the Ecuadorian
indigenous movement against the
Quincentenary celebrations on Oct-
ober 11, 1992.
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