Fear for Safety/ Death threats: Marcelino ALTAMIRANO
Argentina: Fear for Safety/ Death threats: Marcelino ALTAMIRANO - Amnesty International:
PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 13/015/2003
UA 263/03 Fear for Safety/ Death threats 09 September 2003
ARGENTINA Marcelino ALTAMIRANO (m), human rights defender
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of Marcelino Altamirano, coordinator of the street children’s home La Casita del Puente Afectivo (The Little House of the Bridge of Affection) in the city of Mendoza. He has been harassed on several occasions and has received threatening telephone calls.
Most recently on 29 August, his car was set fire to, possibly using a Molotov cocktail, whilst parked a few metres from a room containing five sleeping children. A few minutes later an unidentified caller left a message saying ‘te hicimos la maldad’, ‘we did it’. A complaint about the incident has been filed with the local police station, Comisar�a 25.
La Casita del Puente Afectivo was created in 2001 to work with street children at high risk, in order to help with their social reintegration. The day before the attack, Marcelo Altamirano had publicly complained on a local radio program about the ill-treatment of children by members of the police and about the corruption of public officials.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Human rights defenders working in Mendoza are often target of harassment and threats. Amnesty International has expressed its concern about their safety and consistently asked for thorough and independent investigations into the judicial and public complaints submitted in this regard. It has also submitted its concerns regarding the ill-treatment reportedly suffered by street children to the Mendoza Provincial authorities. On 29 January 2003, the organization addressed the provincial and national authorities regarding the arbitrary detention of children begging in Mendoza city (See AMR 13/03/2002, 29 January 2003).
AI Index: AMR 13/015/2003 9 September 2003"
