25 76. On May 7, 2004, the Court received the statements of the witness, Rhoda Berenson, proposed by the representatives of the alleged victim and convened by the President (supra para. 35), and of the witness, Fausto Humberto Alvarado Dodero, proposed by the State (supra para. 35). The Court will now summarize the relevant parts of these statements. a. Testimony of Rhoda Berenson, the alleged victim’s mother She heard about her daughter’s arrest in December 1995, through the United States Embassy in Peru, which had learned that the President of Peru at that time, Alberto Fujimori, had shown her daughter’s passport on television, stating that she had been arrested for terrorism. The witness had a close relationship with her daughter, even though the latter had lived abroad for several years; they kept in communication by telephone, letters, and visits that her daughter, Lori Berenson, made to her family in New York. Lori Berenson was sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence to be carried out in the Yanamayo Prison. The conditions in this prison were “inhuman” and it was located at 4,000 meters above sea level where the air is very “thin” and it is very cold. Almost all the prison was built of concrete, with the exception of a little steel. The corridors had high open windows, without glass, which let in a strong current of air, but did not allow sunlight to enter. The prison was extremely cold. She observed that “everyone walked about wearing gloves[, ...] hats and boots, a sweater with a coat, [it was necessary] to sleep under eight or ten blankets.” The prisoners were only allowed to use the exercise yard for half an hour a day and they could only wash in buckets of cold water. The “inhuman” conditions of the prison affected her daughter’s health. The judgment convicting Lori Berenson established that she was not allowed to receive visitors for her first year in prison. The United States Embassy received quarterly reports on her health after she entered prison. Owing to the cold and the altitude, the alleged victim developed a condition known as “Reynaud’s” syndrome; her hands were swollen and became purple, as if “she was wearing boxing gloves.” Cuts and infections occurred, because this stretched the skin. The lack of oxygen affected her circulation, sometimes preventing her from using her hands. Although, Lori Berenson developed this syndrome almost immediately after her imprisonment, it has still not disappeared eight and a half years later. The cold and the living conditions also resulted in chronic infections. Among other ailments, she suffered from “streptococcus,” a resistant bacterial infection of the throat. This infection did not disappear until she changed prison. The alleged victim also suffered digestive problems owing to the very poor diet in the prison and the limit to the amount of food prisoners could receive from their next of kin. During her imprisonment, medical tests were performed because her liver was swollen and this caused pain. Furthermore, the darkness in the prison has led to problems with her vision, causing her difficulty in focusing and resulting in loss of vision in her right eye at night. Although she is better, Lori Berenson still suffers from health problems. During the first year, the witness received occasional reports on her daughter’s health from the Consul General.