27 The witness’ brother, Urcesino Ramírez-Rojas, is a member of the ‘United Left’ (Izquierda Unida) political party. At the moment of his detention, the alleged victim had quitted his job in Congress and was planning to set up a financial consulting firm in order to increase his income. His brother was detained and charged with the crime of terrorism, though there was no conclusive evidence thereof. The police searched the alleged victim’s house in the absence of a prosecutor. The papers and manuscripts found by the police officers in Urcesino Ramírez-Rojas’ house were documents connected with the university and Congress, which the alleged victim was using to support his works. They also found two tapes, one containing a recording of a lecture on economic issues, and the other containing a recording of the General Secretary of Izquierda Unida political party. The content of the latter had been made known in newsletters made by such party and was publicly known, notwithstanding which it was “considered to be subversive.” The witness learnt of his brother’s detention by his sister Filomena, who lived together with the alleged victim. Filomena told the witness that personnel wearing civilian clothes had taken him out of his house, and that she did not know where they had taken him. The witness had to look for his brother from one police station to another, until he was informed that his brother was held in custody at the DINCOTE facilities. When the witness arrived at the DINCOTE he was not allowed to speak to his brother as he was held incommunicado. He told the Congressman with whom his brother was working what had happened to him. Said Congressman suggested that the witness should retain an attorney by the surname Calderón, who has been Urcesino Ramírez-Rojas’ defense counsel so far. The witness had to pay for all the costs of the defense, health care, and other needs of the victim because the monthly payment of his retirement pension was not sufficient. Urcesino Ramírez-Rojas was held incommunicado in the jail of the Palace of Justice for fourteen days. He was then transferred to Castro-Castro Prison. After a decision was passed against him, in September 1994, he was transferred to Cajamarca Prison. Later on, he was transferred to El Milagro Prison, in Trujillo. For the commencement of new proceedings, the victim was transferred again to Lima. Each transfer was very difficult for him. The alleged victim was mistreated in the prisons located in Castro-Castro, Cajamarca, and Trujillo. Particularly, in 1992 in CastroCastro Prison there was an assault which lasted for six or seven days. Many inmates died in the incident. The alleged victim’s next of kin did not know if he was still alive. The witness had to go daily to hospitals and the morgue, where he was asked to identify bodies. The alleged victim’s next of kin were completely uncertain regarding his whereabouts. The defense counsel filed a writ of habeas corpus and appeals for annulment, but all these petitions were overruled to the detriment of the alleged victim, who has not yet been discharged from prison.

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