Peru

Appeal - Close Challapalca Prison!

Update

The treatment of prisoners in Challapalca Maximum Security Prison, Establecimiento Penitenciario de Régimen Especial de Challapalca, has been a long term concern to Amnesty International. Conditions at Challapalca Prison have amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and constituted an additional punishment for inmates serving their sentences there.

The harsh conditions in Challapalca Prison have been highlighted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and by national and other international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. All have been calling on the Peruvian authorities to close it down.(1)

Amnesty International has welcomed reports that all inmates who were serving sentences in Challapalca Prison were transferred to other prisons in February 2005. Since then, reportedly Challapalca Prison has remained empty. However, the organization remains concerned that to this date, Challapalca Prison remains open and that the National Prison Institute, Instituto Nacional Penitenciario, has not yet issued any statement regarding their intention to close the prison down.

TAKE ACTION ON CHALLAPALCA - WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Writeto the Minister of Justice and to the National Prison Institute’s President highlighting the following points:

1. Welcoming that all inmates in Challapalca Prison were transferred to other prisons in February 2005 and that since then the prison has remained empty;

2. reminding them of their stated commitment to comply with the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to closed down this prison; and

3. urging them to fulfil this commitment and to close down the prison immediately.

Please, send copies of the letters to the President of Peru and to the Peru Ambassador in your country.

In addition, please write to the Foreign Office in your country and to the Ambassador of your country in Peru highlighting the following points:

4. Reminding them of Amnesty International’s concerns that the prison conditions at Challapalca Prison amount to cruel, inhuman degrading treatment;

5. informing them that Amnesty International has welcomed reports that the inmates in Challapalca Prison were transferred to other prisons in February 2005 but that though the prison is empty, it is not yet been closed down;

6. stating that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and national and international human rights organizations have repeatedly recommended that Challapalca Prison should be closed down; and that Peruvian authorities have stated their commitment to implement these recommendations; and

7. urging them to raise this issue when they meet their counterparts and urge Peruvian authorities to comply with their commitment to implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

ADDRESSES FOR APPEALS

President

Presidente Alejandro Toledo Manrique

Presidente de la República del Perú

Palacio de Gobierno

Plaza Mayor S/N.

Lima 1

PERÚ

Fax: + 51 1 311 3913

Minister of Justice

Dr. Alejandro Tudela Chopitea

Ministro de Justicia

Ministerio de Justicia

Scipión Llona 350

Miraflores

Lima 18

PERÚ

Fax: + 51 1 422 3577

National Prisons Institute President

Dr. Wilfredo Pedraza

Presidente del Instituto Nacional Penitenciario

Ministerio de Justicia

Jr. Carabaya N° 456

Lima, Peru

Fax: + 51 1 427 0624

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(1) For more information on the prison conditions in Challapalca Prison see: Peru - Appeal - Close Challapalca Prison!, AMR 46/014/2004, December 2004.