Justice as a Weapon: Political Persecution in Bolivia
Source: Human Rights Watch
September 11, 2020
Justice as a Weapon
Political Persecution in Bolivia
Summary
Political interference in the justice system is a longstanding problem in Bolivia. Former president Evo Morales repeatedly rejected judicial independence. During his almost 14 years in office, prosecutors filed charges against several of his political rivals in cases that appeared to be politically motivated.
In November 2019, Morales was forced to resign and fled the country amid nationwide protests motivated by allegations of electoral fraudnow disputedand after the commanders of the armed forces and the police asked him to step down. Since then, former members of the Morales administration and Morales himself have become victims of the same political interference in the justice system that they exerted when in power.
Jeanine Áñez, who replaced Morales as interim president, had a chance to break with the past and ensure judicial independence. Instead, her government has publicly pressured prosecutors and judges to act to further its interests, leading to criminal investigations of more than 100 people linked to the Morales government and Morales supporters for sedition and/or terrorism. Morales is among those charged with terrorism. Scores more are under criminal investigation for belonging to a criminal organization, dereliction of duty, and other crimes. Many of the cases appear to be politically motivated.
Human Rights Watch conducted research in El Alto, La Paz, Cochabamba, Sacaba, Santa Cruz, Sucre, Potosí, and Betanzos in February 2020.
Interior Minister Murillo has vowed to hunt down and pursue members of the Morales administration. He has asked the attorney general to purge the prosecutors office and warned he would pursue judges and prosecutors who free criminals, a threat that is a blatant attack on the independence of the justice system. In June, his ministry filed criminal complaints against two judges for granting house arrest to people linked to the Morales administration who were awaiting trial in detention. Police detained one of the judges, who was released the next day after another judge ruled the detention had been illegal.
-snip-
Read more:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/11/justice-weapon/political-persecution-bolivia