A Swiss
court has condemned Guatemala's former police chief to a life sentence in
connection with the murders of seven prisoners. Erwin Sperisen fled his
homeland for Switzerland in 2007.
Reading out
the verdict in a Geneva courtroom, chief Judge Isabelle Cuendet said on Friday
that Sperisen, 43, was "jointly responsible" for six murders and was
"directly responsible" for one.
In
September of 2006, Sperisen (pictured above) led a massive security operation
to regain control of the Pavon prison farm, located outside of the Central
American nation's capital, Guatemala City. A decade earlier, the authorities
had turned over control of Pavon to the inmates, who used the prison to traffic
drugs and engage in other illegal activities.
Seven
inmates were summarily executed during Sperisen's operation. According to the
Swiss court, the former police chief personally shot dead one of the victims.
Judge Cuendet called Sperisen's motives "egotistical and particularly
disgusting," saying that he "showed a total lack of scruples."
One of
Sperisen's lawyers said the former police chief would appeal the ruling.
'Universal
justice'
In 2007,
Sperisen fled to Switzerland, where he holds dual citizenship through his
paternal grandfather. But in Switzerland, citizens can be prosecuted for crimes
that they commit abroad. The mother of one of the victims filed charges against
Sperisen in a Swiss court.
Claudia
Samayoa, director of Guatemala's Human Rights Defense Unit, called Friday's
ruling "a great achievement for universal justice."
"They
are sending the message that no citizen can hide behind his or her dual
nationality," Samayoa said.
slk/jm (AP, AFP)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.