Rodrigo Lanza
Searching for police/judicial misconduct, a local friend referred me to the case of the Chilean youth Rodrigo Lanza. Apparently, there is also political background to the case, so far unclear.
None of the details below was verified.
The case has generated considerable attention. There are numerous blog postings on the case: [below are machine translations]
1) Kaosenlared.net
http://old.kaosenlared.net/noticia/rodrigo-lanza-4f-ingresa-prision-72-horas
Rodrigo Lanza (4F) enters prison in 72 hours
Our partner Rodri left this morning to pick up the summons he had in the courts and it makes you have to go to prison in 72 hours. Keep you informed ...
Rodrigo Lanza Zaragoza Support Group | For Kaos en la Red | 11/23/2009 at 17:09 | 4050 reads | 2 Comments
THAT NIGHT
Some people are returning home now, but others were headed to a party being held in a house on Calle Sant Pere Mes Baix. Upon arrival they found that street a police cordon on both sides who were denied access on the grounds that "he could not get into the party because the house was fucked." As it was after 5 and a half and he was late for the appointment, Rodrigo tried to explain to the guard seemed to urban riot control device that needed access to the metro and in no way intended to enter the house. At this time he was hit by another agent behind and fell. Disoriented and bleeding rose helped by her friend Marcela, as police began to charge the people who had built up before the police cordon. His career was cut short by a police car that almost runs over. Vehicle two officers got out they were stopped.
"It was six in the morning, I was tired, I had taken a blow to the head, was bleeding and had not done anything ... if you tell me to stop, then I stop," says Rodrigo.
Addressing more than thirty people, Rodrigo is handcuffed on the floor of a very peculiar way: right hand with his left foot behind his back and placed in one of the patrol cars as they arrived on the scene.
Commissary ...
"Tonight was spent in the dungeon and tomorrow and let me go," thought Rodrigo resigned, unaware that an agent of the City Police was lying on the floor in a coma. Rodrigo Alongside six other people were arrested, including his teammates Juan Daniel Pintos and Alex Cisternas. The three were placed at the back of the van and separated from the rest by two agents. To John had broken his hand kicked urban guards before numerous witnesses and the mistreatment of "three sudacas" as they were called urban guards, continued throughout the transfer to the station.
Arriving at the City Police Station, were stripped naked and thrown into the dungeon. At that time, Rodrigo was aware of the seriousness of their situation. "He entered the dungeon agent shouting, 'You know there's a buddy of mine in a coma? If he palm, you too! ' and started beating. I tried to defend myself, but at the door were four riot helmets and batons, and realized I could come and give me the beating of my life. " Rodrigo merely protected by the arms of the beating by the police. "Sudaca shit, Pinochet did not do his job. You have to kill you all. "
When it was over, it was on the floor in a pool of blood as big as Rodrigo himself. A similar fate befell his teammates Alex and John, the three taken to a hospital because of the severity of their injuries.
HOSPITAL ...
"We got into a normal police van," explains Rodrigo, "and as we were going to blood stain seats, we were forced to go under the seats lying." Up to four hospitals visited on a journey of more than three hours to find a hospital with an X-ray machine that worked. "We left locked in the car park and they were going to take something to the hospital cafeteria," says Rodrigo outraged. In the penultimate stop company are joined by two young, Alfredo and Patricia. His crime? Having had a bicycle accident and have "pints" (ridges and tables) was reason enough for the police to arrest them in the hospital, although none of them had been to Sant Pere Mes Baix that night.
Before the medical examination, the agents reminded them what they had to say, if they did not have problems on their return to the station. So, recognizes Rodrigo, none denounced police brutality or clarified the origin of the blows on the nose, face and mouth. "To John, before making the plates, a police squeezed his injured hand until his fingers bled," said Rodrigo.
D'MOSSOS ESQUADRA
On his return to the police station several cars were waiting for the Catalan police, which were introduced separately and forced to sign a document under physical duress. "They said it was the statement of our belongings and not to make any more questions. When I read it, I was beaten, so I signed it, "says Rodrigo.
In no time they were read their rights and they had been told the allegations. "We had lost track of time, during the 50 or 60 hours we spent in solitary confinement."
On arrival at the Mossos d'Esquadra new humiliation awaited them. "One by one we introduced in fourth photo reconnaissance. It was an empty room with a chair and a rope, two uniformed and one plainclothes hooded. "Rodrigo admits it was one of the scariest moments passed. "They made me undress force. The hooded man jumped on me, one of the policemen strangled me while his teammates held me. " After washing the face left him to clean the blood. An attempt to drink more water was punished with slaps. "If my partner dies, you leave here with feet first" were the words that ended that photo shoot.
The three friends were taken to solitary confinement paths. "Every shift change was the same: the Mossos entered, insulted us, hit us, we spit and we took pictures with mobile." Recalls Rodrigo. "We are left with your face. If you find free sales on the street, we will kill you. "
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A LAWYER
However, not alone. Outside many people had gathered from the outset and had managed to warn his mother and a lawyer.
"Suddenly, I call: Rodrigo Lanza, lawyer!" Evokes emotion. Eduardo was an old friend, who informs him of the seriousness of the charges: attempted murder of a traffic policeman, to 20 years in prison ".
"I collapsed and I here I begin to mourn," says Rodrigo. But Edu gives encouragement: "Do not give them the pleasure of seeing you like this." No time to recount the torture, two days based on a glass of water and a sandwich, or the many irregularities in the police reports, beginning with registration of nationalities: John, with Spanish DNI though born in Argentina, he claimed national of Argentina, while Alex, married to a Spanish woman, and Rodrigo, with NIE Italian, identified them as "illegal Chileans". They were going to testify before Judge Martinez's Court N º 8 of Barcelona.
It was a chance to tell for the first time what had happened to Rodrigo and his companions in misfortune. However, hopes were dispelled very beginning of the questions the judge.
"It did not take us questioned the prosecutor, the judge treated us as if we were guilty," says Rodrigo. "If you are telling a thousand just like you, I still believe the police".
Already psyched for what awaited him, Rodrigo returned to jail along with Alex and John. "I expected to prison for attempted murder me and Alex on a charge of injury, but not for John, who was initially accused of disorder and disturbance in the streets, calling for him two years in prison and a fine, as the rest of the detainees that night. "We implemented the country's flight risk. Clearly, when you are an immigrant, you are guilty. "
PRISON PREVEN (GA) TIVA
His first night was in the model and from there was transferred to La Trinidad, his "home" for the next two years. Expecting a speedy trial and convictions that complacieran easy to authorities. At the end of the day, who was going to import the fate of "three sudacas"?
"But throw them backfired", adds Rodrigo. A strong advocacy campaign in Catalonia, Spanish statewide and even in Chile made for Rodrigo, Alex and John did not fall into oblivion and media pressure maintained throughout the trial.
"I will continue to thank not only my family and my people, but to fellow University where he studied history, journalists and all those who supported me in the street. Daily received letters from strangers who wrote me just to give me strength. That was what the officials are fucked. "
FINALLY THE TRIAL
During the trial Rodrigo had reason to be optimistic. Statements were contradictory agents, while the witnesses and defendants were very consistent. In addition, the autopsy report was inconclusive: the wounds caused by a stone thrown in the way it is claimed by the prosecution could not have killed the traffic cop. That "alleged murderer stone" found by the police in a roof three blocks from the scene. There was more evidence like blood or fingerprints because housekeeping city had swept and cleaned the floor of the street before investigators arrived. Who gave the order for such irregularity is a mystery to this day.
There was even a statement picked up by radio and television ratified after, the then Mayor of Barcelona, Joan Clos (PSC) which reportedly claimed the City of Barcelona, the agent's death was caused by a flowerpot thrown from a building roof. Joan Clos was ratified that effect two years later, but this information was never admitted at trial.
As he advanced the process and were removing the charges, the initial request of sixteen would lowering homicide until a final request for four and half years in prison. Rodrigo's defense appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court in Madrid last June, in the hope of reducing the sentence below four. However, the Supreme Court increased the sentence to five years and added a civil compensation amounting to 390,000 euros.
PRISON DEFINITIVE, PERMANENT PRESSURE
Rodrigo currently expects judges issued their final imprisonment, to fulfill the three years missing. This decision may be appealed, but it keeps out already in jail.
Rodrigo is firm in his convictions to such adversity. "I would not change anything about what I did that night ... except run some more," he jokes. "The Spanish justice, like the rest of the judicial systems in the world, has an economic purpose. Most people are not in prison for what he did, but because of the economic stratum to which it belongs. ". And judgment. "Justice is too large to fit in a room and put it in the mouth of a person. They are mistaken if they believe that justice is what the judge says. "
"Prison destroys you as a person. It also destroys your family and of course financially ruin you. My mother has sacrificed his family, his job, his life. He has aged a decade in the past two years, "he laments. However, mother and son agree to see the world as it is now is very bad and that "we must fight to change it."
Whatever happens, know that you are not alone.
The campaign for a pardon continues.
2) AraInfo
http://absoluciondetenidos4f.blogspot.com.es/
It is good news that we get from Barcelona on the case of Rodrigo Lanza (4F). Again we say in AraInfo Mariana's mother Rodri. Mariana his voice breaking writes this harsh letter, a letter where the lights of the past come to light too hard, the nightmare returns to our heads ... A Rodri punish him again.
But this time Rodri has had enough and has decided not to play the lie of rehabilitation, has made his decision and we and we not only accept but we support it. Rodrigo possibly fulfill his entire sentence, but will do as it has always been, a person of integrity and consistent, a person of all and we all learned something: "The struggle for truth, is the struggle for freedom."
Rodrigo Now more than ever needs our support and love. Escribámosle everyone. His new address is this:
Rodrigo Lanza Huidobro
C.P. Cuatre Camins (MR2)
Apt 335 Posts
08400
Granollers
Barcelona
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Barcelona. - Friday June 1, 2012 | Hello everyone, these words are going to cost me a lot and will probably confusing ... this afternoon I was with Rodrigo. But again behind a glass for a few minutes.
In the morning he called a friend in prison, who told me that Rodrigo was not in this open, that he was taken, which meant back to second grade (that take the permission to go to work).
I called the jail and told me I was in "revenue" is a closed room without communication.
I quickly went to jail for the afternoon and I say that has been transferred to the module 2.
Rodrigo had previously been in Module 3, then the MSOB (Module output open), but the 2 is a step back.
I could go and see it. Officials of windows are the same as before, the income ... also returned a thousand images that had been expected in the past.
Rodrigo is fine. Delgado. Much thinner. A week is visibly.
Try to explain his words. I asked that communicate.
He said he spoke with the social worker explaining everything. She, Lourdes, says he should have warned during his permission, if he left his job physical space. Rodrigo was always in the position that if I had known for a permit had to tell where he was, had called and matter resolved, but did not know. Lourdes saying he had been told to report everything.
Lourdes also said "is that your case is a special case", which shows that there is political pressure.
Eventually Rodrigo destroyed, and she, Lourdes, he says "you're a prisoner and you're going to make you feel the prison."
He told me that all "flipaban" with what was happening. Other prisoners came to that night, and also had control at work, where they were not. Were tested for drugs and alcohol and they were positive, Rodrigo. But the other prisoners had only punishment the weekend, and we know what was the "punishment" of Rodrigo.
I also told them other joints guardians of treatment could not believe the punishment they gave him, and all hallucinated with it.
Rodrigo told his tutor that if they were going to switch to second grade, the better you change module, which it left in the MSOB (clarified that MSOB is made for people who are dating, but if they leave there with a second degree ie without leaving work or anything like that, you better shut module where activities, library, etc.)
Well, that said Rodrigo catch and move the module closed.
The move from one module to another, just meters away, was a Catalan police car and handcuffed Rodrigo!!. He told me that it made him laugh, and went whistling, to the disbelief of the Mossad. Sure, so many things to take two steps!!.
Arriving in revenue had it up to an hour before I went in to see him. I said that when saw acquaintances came before, who asked him what had happened.
I said that the only chance to escape having to appeal the judge's prison supervision. Will do.
He said he now has to have another "Board of treatment," to do a report in three months, and then begin to give an output of one or two days a month ... this means that hopefully is coming within one week five months and we have seven of condemnation!.
So they decided to write a letter to the board refuses treatment, and that takes over will the remaining seven months in prison.
That is, prefer to stay in seven months to re-engage in the rehabilitation false game you already know.
At least be quiet and leave with their heads held high.
He asked me to communicate everything, write me and said hello to everyone.
I went to see him making a huge effort to not see how weak I am, and I came out with strength and with enormous pride.
I want to say that, Rodrigo took the decision not to give and no longer participate in the falsehoods of the "rehabilitation" and I saw him firm and strong.
We have to expose the injustice of what they are doing.
Thank you all again! for all the support received.
A hug.
Mariana Huidobro | For AraInfo
2) Des Montaje
http://www.desmontaje4f.org/2012/06/rodrigo-lanza-vuelve-a-prision-en-regimen-cerrado/