Information on human rights violations committed by police in 1996 and 1997, including violations committed against former police officers viewed as "traitors" by the police force [ARG27787.E]

Amnesty International Report 1997 and Latinamerica Press report that police killed 12 people extrajudicially in 1996 (1997, 74; 6 Mar. 1997, 4). According to the attached 16 April 1996 IPS report, the Committee of Relatives of Victims of Institutional Violence (COFAVI) was handling 350 complaints of police violence and monitoring 250 lawsuits against police. The same report stated that the situation of police violence in Argentina was among the worst in the Americas (ibid.). A 10 April 1997 Latinamerica Press report states that COFAVI has settled 26 cases of police violence since its foundation in 1992, and that 300 remain pending.

Several 1997 reports state that police were involved in the January 1997 assassination of Argentine journalist José Luis Cabezas (AP 15 May 1997; IPS 7 Feb. 1997; Latinamerica Press 10 Apr. 1997, 4; ibid., 6 Mar. 1997; Latin America Weekly Report 18 Mar. 1997, 143; ibid., 4 Feb. 1997, 70). Latin America Weekly Report states that 20 police officers have been dismissed for their alleged tampering in the Cabezas investigations (18 Mar. 1997, 143). A 15 May 1997 Associated Press (AP) report specifies that six suspects, including two former police officers, were arrested in April and placed under custody. All 48,000 agents of the Buenos Aires provincial police force have been placed under "dispensable" (en disponibilidad) status, which signifies that they can be let go at any time, because of Cabezas' assassination, and the ongoing corruption and crime associated with the force (Latin American Weekly Report 18 Mar. 1997, 143; Reuters 14 Mar. 1997). For additional information on the assassination of Cabezas and police violence in Argentina, please consult the attached 1997 AP, IPS, Latinamerica Press, Latin America Weekly Report and Reuters articles.

In the Reuters article Buenos Aires provincial governor, Eduardo Duhalde, stated that placing a civilian at the top of the provincial police force may be what is needed to reform a force so riddled by crime and corruption (14 Mar. 1997). He added that the police force's notorious reputation was because of bad cops and "traitors" (ibid.).

In another attached Reuters article the Catholic Church is reported to have criticized the strong police reaction to a group of protesters in the province of Jujuy (6 June 1997). The group was protesting high unemployment when police dispersed the crowd and allegedly injured 180 people (ibid.).

With the exception of the one reference to "traitors" above, information on reports of violations against former police officers viewed as "traitors" could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References


Amnesty International. 1997. Amnesty International Report 1997. New York: Amnesty International USA.

The Associated Press (AP). 15 May 1997. "Preventive Custody for Six Suspects in Photographer Slaying." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 7 February 1997. Marcela Valente. Argentina: Police Corruption Not a Box-Office Hit." (NEXIS)

_____. 16 April 1996. Daniel Gatti. "Latin America: Police Reforms Needed to Stem Rights Violations." (NEXIS)

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 10 April 1997. Vol. 29, No. 13. Dafne Sabanes Plou. "Families Organize Against Police Violence."

_____. 6 March 1997. Vol. 29, No. 8. Dafne Sabanes Plou. "Police Are the New Criminals."

Latin America Weekly Report [London]. 18 March 1997. "Provincial Police Threaten Strike."

_____. 4 February 1997. "Cabezas Murder Becomes Big Issue."

Reuters. 6 June 1997. BC Cycle. "Argentine Police, Jobless Clash in Salta Province." (NEXIS)

_____. 14 March 1997. BC Cycle. Stephen Brown. "Argentine Police Given 'Last Chance' to Reform." (NEXIS)

Attachments


The Associated Press (AP). 15 May 1997. "Preventive Custody for Six Suspects in Photographer Slaying." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 7 February 1997. Marcela Valente. Argentina: Police Corruption Not a Box-Office Hit." (NEXIS)

_____. 16 April 1996. Daniel Gatti. "Latin America: Police Reforms Needed to Stem Rights Violations." (NEXIS)

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 10 April 1997. Vol. 29, No. 13. Dafne Sabanes Plou. "Families Organize Against Police Violence," p. 4.

_____. 6 March 1997. Vol. 29, No. 8. Dafne Sabanes Plou. "Police Are the New Criminals," p. 4.

Latin America Weekly Report [London]. 18 March 1997. "Provincial Police Threaten Strike," p. 143.

_____. 4 February 1997. "Cabezas Murder Becomes Big Issue," p. 70.

Reuters. 6 June 1997. BC Cycle. "Argentine Police, Jobless Clash in Salta Province." (NEXIS)

_____. 14 March 1997. BC Cycle. Stephen Brown. "Argentine Police Given 'Last Chance' to Reform." (NEXIS)