Post by 1949 on Nov 7, 2004 21:43:55 GMT -5
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3985217.stm
Shining Path retrial suspended
Guzman (right) turned the hearing into a demonstration
The first hearing in the retrial of former leaders of Peru's Shining Path guerrilla group has ended in chaos.
The judge suspended the hearing after Shining Path Founder Abimael Guzman, 69, and his 15 co-defendants rose to their feet and chanted.
Mr Guzman is being retried on terror charges in a civilian tribunal, after his 1992 conviction by a military court was overturned last year.
He led an insurgency in which tens of thousands died in the 1980s and 1990s.
At the start of Friday's hearing the grey-haired Maoist - wearing his trademark thick-rimmed glasses - hugged one of his colleagues before sitting down among them.
Chaos
The trial began with one of his co-defendants addressing the court. Oscar Ramirez Durand, alias Feliciano, requested a state-appointed attorney saying he had no money for a lawyer.
After about an hour, Mr Guzman's turn came.
Moments after the presiding judge asked TV and radio journalists to leave the tiny viewing gallery, Mr Guzman rose to his feet.
With his right fist clenched and raised high, he began to shout: "Glory to Marxism, Leninism and Maoism".
His followers joined in, saying: "Long live the heroes of the people. Long live the Peruvian people".
The judge suspended the hearing until next Friday, and the accused were led back to their cells.
It was a farcical end to the first day of what could be one of Peru's most important ever trials, says the BBC's Elliott Gotkine in Lima.
No-one in Peru - not even Mr Guzman himself - expects the country's courts to free him, adds our correspondent.
But there are fears the rebel leader could appeal against any eventual guilty verdict to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the grounds that Peru's definition of terrorism is flawed, in the hope of winning his liberty.
Ruthless war
A total of about 70,000 people were killed by both guerrillas and security forces during the 1980s and early 1990s.
After Mr Guzman's capture in September 1992, he was presented to the media, wild-eyed, caged and dressed in a striped prison uniform.
Guzman was paraded to the media in a cage after his capture
The government of the day reportedly considered shooting him - but in the end he was tried behind closed doors by military judges.
They wore hoods to avoid being targeted for revenge by the Shining Path, and the group's founder was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
But last year, Peru's constitutional court repealed the anti-terror laws approved by former President Alberto Fujimori, and threw out Mr Guzman's initial conviction, prompting re-trials.
After his capture the Shining Path split and the rebellion collapsed - though the movement is still on a US list of terror groups.
Check out the thread at EG: www.ernesto-guevara.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2392&st=0 -1949
Shining Path retrial suspended
Guzman (right) turned the hearing into a demonstration
The first hearing in the retrial of former leaders of Peru's Shining Path guerrilla group has ended in chaos.
The judge suspended the hearing after Shining Path Founder Abimael Guzman, 69, and his 15 co-defendants rose to their feet and chanted.
Mr Guzman is being retried on terror charges in a civilian tribunal, after his 1992 conviction by a military court was overturned last year.
He led an insurgency in which tens of thousands died in the 1980s and 1990s.
At the start of Friday's hearing the grey-haired Maoist - wearing his trademark thick-rimmed glasses - hugged one of his colleagues before sitting down among them.
Chaos
The trial began with one of his co-defendants addressing the court. Oscar Ramirez Durand, alias Feliciano, requested a state-appointed attorney saying he had no money for a lawyer.
After about an hour, Mr Guzman's turn came.
Moments after the presiding judge asked TV and radio journalists to leave the tiny viewing gallery, Mr Guzman rose to his feet.
With his right fist clenched and raised high, he began to shout: "Glory to Marxism, Leninism and Maoism".
His followers joined in, saying: "Long live the heroes of the people. Long live the Peruvian people".
The judge suspended the hearing until next Friday, and the accused were led back to their cells.
It was a farcical end to the first day of what could be one of Peru's most important ever trials, says the BBC's Elliott Gotkine in Lima.
No-one in Peru - not even Mr Guzman himself - expects the country's courts to free him, adds our correspondent.
But there are fears the rebel leader could appeal against any eventual guilty verdict to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the grounds that Peru's definition of terrorism is flawed, in the hope of winning his liberty.
Ruthless war
A total of about 70,000 people were killed by both guerrillas and security forces during the 1980s and early 1990s.
After Mr Guzman's capture in September 1992, he was presented to the media, wild-eyed, caged and dressed in a striped prison uniform.
Guzman was paraded to the media in a cage after his capture
The government of the day reportedly considered shooting him - but in the end he was tried behind closed doors by military judges.
They wore hoods to avoid being targeted for revenge by the Shining Path, and the group's founder was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
But last year, Peru's constitutional court repealed the anti-terror laws approved by former President Alberto Fujimori, and threw out Mr Guzman's initial conviction, prompting re-trials.
After his capture the Shining Path split and the rebellion collapsed - though the movement is still on a US list of terror groups.
Check out the thread at EG: www.ernesto-guevara.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2392&st=0 -1949