An important part of what we do at Sutton Coldfield Amnesty Group is our work on behalf of Individuals at Risk of Human Rights Abuses. We have recently taken on a new Peruvian case and are now campaigning on behalf of Juliaca’s Victims Group: Association of Martyrs and Victims of 9 January.

The case concerns the relatives of those who were assassinated and gravely injured during the police repression of protests between 6 January and 9 February 2023 in the city of Juliaca in the Puno region of Peru. They have organised and established the Association of Martyrs and Victims of 9 January in Juliaca. Their principal demand is that the abuses that occurred not remain shrouded in impunity.

Most of the affected families are workers, farmers and merchants who seek justice after having experienced traumatic events. The emotional and psychological injuries continue to run deep, and the scar of that loss continues to be present in the community fabric.  The tragedy goes far beyond the lives that were truncated: it also impacts the survivors who are fighting for access to medical attention. Additionally, the persistent racism, stigmatisation and social marginalisation increase their burden.

The survivors of those killed or injured have transformed their pain into motivation for change by becoming involved as activists in human rights defence and social justice.

Context

Following the ousting and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo on 7th December 2022, thousands of people took to the streets to protest. The Peruvian National Police and Army responded with excessive use of force, with the goal of silencing and punishing the protestors.

Between December 2022 and February 2023, 49 protesters lost their lives and many were injured (between 6-13 January, 204 people were injured). The majority were from indigenous and campesino communities in Peru’s Andean South that have been historically marginalised by the Peruvian authorities. The victims were labelled as ‘terrorists’.

Investigations carried out by the Office of the Attorney General have been marked by technical deficiencies and progress has been slow and limited. Amnesty International have documented a number of cases, who are mainly young men and not all of them involved in the protest (e.g. bystanders or shoppers).

In May and June 2024, criminal investigative proceedings were finally initiated against dozens of police and military officers implicated in human rights violations, including some commanders. However, progress has repeatedly stalled. The Juliaca’s Victims Group are calling for the investigation to be expedited by the Congress of Republic of Peru. They are asking us to call on the UK Government to support them in this aim.

You can support this appeal by sending the attached letter to your constituency MP by email and/or post. Please remember to add your name and address as this is required by MPs in order for them to respond.

In addition you can sign the petition on Amnesty's website:

Stand with victims of repression in Peru

Thank you for your help.