PUBLICAI Index: AMR 13/09/00

UA 170/00"Disappearance"/Fear for safety22 June 2000

ARGENTINAJosé Segundo Zambrano, Pablo Marcelo Rodríguez

Two men have “disappeared” on the day when one of them was apparently to meet a police officer from a force accused of involvement in other “disappearances”.

Amnesty International has recently learned that José Segundo Zambrano and his friend, Pablo Marcelo Rodríguez "disappeared" on 25 March in Mendoza city, in Mendoza Province. José Segundo Zambrano had allegedly arranged to meet a member of the Mendoza Investigations police (Dirección de Investigaciones de la Policía) that day. According to the habeas corpus writ filed by the lawyers acting for the men’s families, José Zambrano had been subjected to death threats by a member of the local police.

The Mendoza Investigations Police has been named in official complaints as involved in other "disappearances" in the city in 1990.

The men’s relatives have reported the "disappearance" to the Guaymallén Police Station No. 9 (Comisaria Novena de Guaymallén) in Mendoza and to the Provincial Ministry of Justice. All they have learned is that José Zambrano’s car was found abandoned with blood stains in the locality of Villa Hipódromo, Godoy Cruz, a neighbourhood of Mendoza.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Since Argentina returned to civilian rule in 1983 several people have “disappeared”, three of them in Mendoza. Adolfo Argentino Garrido and Raúl Baigorria "disappeared" in April 1990 after the Mendoza Investigations Police arrested them. Two years later Pablo Christian Guardati "disappeared" after he was arrested. The Argentine government agreed to pay compensation to the men’s families, after their cases were submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of the Organization of American States, and the provincial government agreed to appoint an independent commission to investigate their fate.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters in Spanish or your own language:

- expressing concern at the "disappearance” of José Segundo Zambrano and Pablo Marcelo Rodríguez;

- expressing concern for their safety;

- asking what investigations have been started, and what form they are going to take (their terms of reference) since the men’s relatives filed official complaints with the police and Ministry of Justice, and their lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition;

- urging that these investigations be independent, thorough and conclusive, that their results are made public and those found responsible are brought to justice.

APPEALS TO:

Provincial Authorities

Minister of Justice

Ministro de Justicia y Seguridad

de la Provincia de Mendoza

Dr. Leopoldo Manuel Orquín

Salta 672

Godoy Cruz

5501 Mendoza

Argentina

Fax: +54 261 449 9083

Salutation: Sr. Ministro/ Dear Minister

Governor Mendoza Province

Sr. Gobernador de la Provincia de Mendoza

Sr. Roberto Iglesias

Casa de Gobierno

5500 Mendoza, Mendoza

Argentina

Fax:+ 54261 449 2142 /3

Salutation:Sr. Gobernador/ Dear Governor

National authorities

Minister of Justice and Human Rights

Sr. Ministro de Justicia y Derechos Humanos

Dr.Ricardo Gil Lavedra,

Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos

Sarmiento 329, 5o. Piso

1041 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fax: + 5411 4328 5395

Salutation:Sr. Ministro/ Dear Minister

COPIES TO:

Newspapers

Provincial Newspaper

Diario Los Andes

Avenida San Martin 1049

5500 Mendoza, Argentina

Fax: + 54261 420 2011

National Newspaper

Diario Clarín

Tacuarí 1846

1139 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fax:+ 5411 4309 7200

and to diplomatic representatives of Argentina accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 2 August 2000.