Yesterday, the UK Foreign Office, the Madrid Forum and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs joined the notes on the criminal proceedings faced by former President Jeanine Anez in the alleged coup case which the government has denounced.
The statements were published after the presentation by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García Sayan, who presented his report on the state of judicial independence in the world, a document in which he refers to the case of Bolivia and in particular to the right of former President Añez, in which he reaffirmed ” her right to a fair trial.”
“We take note of the recent judgment of a Bolivian court on former President Jeanine Anez, among other defendants, her 10-year prison sentence, the full sentencing and the statement of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Oacnudh) in Bolivia,” the statement reads. Issued by the representative of the United Kingdom.
In its statement, that Government indicated that it shared the procedural doubts indicated by Okunode regarding the conduct of Anez’s trial.
It also coincided with concerns raised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers about possible political interference in the criminal process.
“We welcome OHCHR’s continued commitment to the human rights agenda in Bolivia, as well as its statement on the need for comprehensive reform of the justice system in Bolivia. We encourage the Bolivian government to undertake substantive judicial reform in good faith,” the document says.
Switzerland has stated – through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs – that it was aware of Ocknode’s analysis in relation to the June 10 judgment against Anez.
“We share the notes of #OHCHR and urge Bolivia to respect its obligations, also international, in terms of due process,” said the tweet shared by the Director of the Americas Division at the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mirko. Juliet.
Madrid Forum
Representatives Victor Gonzalez and Victoria Eugenia Villarroel, from the Forum de Madrid, went to the Miraflores prison in La Paz on Tuesday morning to find out what situation former President Anez is going through. However, the deputies were unable to enter the prison because the police prevented them.
In this situation, lawmakers have questioned the lack of independence of the Bolivian judicial system. “If there is no separation of powers, if there is no independent justice, there is no democracy,” Gonzalez said, referring to the processes the former president is facing.
From the bars of the cell, the ex-president greeted the escorts. Carolina Ribera, Anez’s daughter, appeared in prison and thanked MPs for following up on her mother’s case.
The deputies of the Madrid Forum read a statement demanding the release of Anez from the government of Luis Ars, arguing that in 2019 there was no coup, but a constitutional transition.
They questioned political interference in justice and demanded the release of the former president, because they believed that she was serving an unfair prison sentence.
“She was unjustly judged, and her punishment is a political one,” Gonzalez said, referring to statements made by former President Morales, who revealed that in a meeting with President Ars and the leadership of the American Socialist Movement, they specified that Anez would be processed in an ordinary way.
The parliamentarians noted that Anez was the guarantor of democracy in Bolivia by taking over the transition in 2019 against then-President Morales, who did not have the “courage” to remain in the country during the days of political and social conflict.
They also highlighted Anez’s role in taking over the transitional government and then calling for elections, compared to other authorities who ended up outside the country or took refuge in the residences of diplomatic delegations.
“The Madrid Forum will work to promote the cause of Jeanine Anez in international forums until the release of the former president,” the statement added.
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