American Tried in Peru for Guerilla Ties

ByABC News
March 22, 2001, 5:58 PM

L I M A , Peru, March 22 -- An American imprisoned in Peru for more than five years on terrorism charges took the stand in her retrial today and accused police of planting evidence against her.

"I am convinced police planted evidence in my apartment after my detention," said Lori Berenson, a human rights activist from New York.

"I am innocent of all charges against me," she said in a husky voice.

Press Packs Hearing Room

Berenson, now 31, was arrested in November 1995 on charges of abetting members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, known as MRTA from its initials in Spanish, in a bid to take over Peru's Congress, a charge she has always denied.

The former Massachusetts Institute of Technology student was convicted by a military court in a secret trial in January 1996 under the draconian anti-terrorism laws decreed by the government of former President Alberto Fujimori. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

After Fujimori resigned amid corruption allegations last November, Berenson was granted the right to a public trial in a civil court, which began Tuesday.

Today, Berenson accused police of inventing a statement they said she had made. She said they planted evidence, stole her possessions and ran up bills her credit bill after she was arrested.

Berenson, who was dressed in a simple light blue blouse, blue skirt and flat heels, kept her composure during most of the hearing. In a small victory for the defendant, she was was allowed to testify in the small hearing room in Lima's Lurigancho prison. On Tuesday, she was kept behind bars during questioning.

About 100 journalists and judiciary officials packed the chamber today.

Im Not a Person Who Looks for Problems

During an hour and 45 minutes of questioning, prosecutor Mario Cavagnaro accused Berenson of working with organizations linked to subversive movements in Central America before coming to Peru. He also questioned Berenson's assertion that she lived off her parents' education trust fund while doing volunteer work.