Jailed activist on hunger strike in Peru

Jailed activist on hunger strike in Peru

Lori Berenson, a United States activist serving a life sentence for treason in Peru, launched a hunger strike on January 11, the fourth anniversary of her jailing. She is demanding to be transferred to another prison.

Berenson was jailed by a secret military court in 1996 for helping rebels belonging to the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. The military claimed that Berenson helped plan a guerrilla attack on Peru's congress.

In October 1998, Berenson was transferred from Yanamayo prison in the Andes Mountains to another near the capital, Lima. Berenson wants to be returned to Yanamayo, a harsh high-security jail for left-wing political prisoners.

From GLW issue 390