from solidaridadporlxspresxs, translated by war on society:
On November 28, the political trial against the 5 comrades (Omar, Carlos, Felipe, Francisco, Monica) began in the (in)justice center, using a “special” courtroom for the great dimensions and because it has a section for the press.
It was announced in advance through the written press what the security measures would be for the trial, which up to now have basically been: Bag search and metal detector scan on entry to the building, second bag search and metal detector scan on entry to the courtroom. After some recesses during the day, the courtroom is continually checked by explosives-detecting dogs under the charge of the gendermeria (armed guard).
All these controls notwithstanding, it is a public and open trial, so any person can enter having only to carry a license. (With exception of the witnesses, who only can attend once to deliver their statements.) It is obligatory for the accused to participate in the entire process, attending all of the hearings.
Who is involved in the trial?
*Judges: Three judges and one alternate judge (in case a judge is unable to participate)
*Prosecution (Public Ministry): Francisco Rojas, Victor Nuñez, Marcelo Apablaza
*On the side of the prosecution: Department of the Interior (Government), Marriot Hotels, Church of the Immaculate Conception.
*State Defense Counsel (particularly in the accusation against Francisco Solar and Gustavo Fuente Aliaga for the attacks on the ANI and CDE)
*The comrades’ defense lawyers.
November 28:
Before a courtroom with the second floor filled with press, although little has been broadcast on TV, the political trial began.
The Prosecution tried to suspend the trial twice. First making allusion that they had not expected the Court of Appeals to uphold the dismissal of Cristian Cancino (who was dismissed after consideration that a single person is not a conspiracy). After their motion was rejected they tried again to suspend the trial alluding that not all of their witnesses have been notified. The court again rejected their motion.
The private plaintiffs (Immaculate Church of Vitacura and Marriot Hotels) tried to desist from accusation, but without paying the fees. The motion was rejected, and so absurdly they continue in the trial with the goal of not paying the fees. Remember that there is no one accused for the attacks that affected those two places.
A support rally was held outside in which comrades threw leaflets, displayed banners and spoke by megaphone in denunciation of the disgusting case against the accused. The rally finished without incident and with great interest from many of those passing through the area.
During the morning of November 28 and the next morning of the 29th, two explosive devices have detonated at the military prosecutor of Santiago and the prosecutor of La Florida. Although no group has claimed either attack,
the press relates them to the beginning of the trial. Once again the string of bombings while the comrades have been imprisoned or when they are directly participating in hearings are used by power according to their convenience. Even though they say that the accused would be the main individuals responsible for all the explosive attacks, these continue to occur.
Opening statements
The trial began and each party gave a brief overview of their thesis in turn, the prosecution and the defense.
Incredibly, the prosecutor kept insisting on “a group” in which the squats are facades, centers of instruction and indoctrination of terrorism, upon which delusions and police speculations are added. He recognizes that no direct evidence exists, but that there is much “circumstantial evidence” and that the work of the investigation has been carried out by professionals seriously and scientifically.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior founded his argument on the necessity of invoking the anti-terrorist law and of the crime displaying these characteristics.
The different defendants’ defense flatly ruled out any participation, discredited the supposed scientific evidence, and left in serious doubt that the objective of the explosive devices was to cause terror in the society and the world, much less having done so in any case.
Statements and testimonies
Francisco Solar
The comrade Francisco Solar is the only one up to now who has agreed to speak before the tribunal. Francisco denied any participation, and after long hours of receiving hostile and redundant questions from the prosecutors, the prosecution began to present their witnesses (most of them police officers).
They began to parade the heads of police “intelligence.” Various officials, colonials, lieutenants in charge of the investigation. The police statements are extensive and after receiving the questions guided by the prosecution they received questions from the defense.
Sergio Escobar Berrios (DIPOLCAR)
For now, the witnesses have been DIPOLCAR [the “intelligence” section of the Carabineros] police. Remember that this investigation was carried out primarily by DIPOLCAR and BIPE [federal investigative police] police officers.
Some information from the first witness (in Spanish) can be found here.
As for the statement from Minister Hinzpeter, this will be a good time considering that he is a witnessed called by the defense. It is already defined that the entire tribunal will have to be translated into money during his statement.
Political trial?
They continually talk of the dreaded “anarcho-insurrectionalism,” although they define it but little or hardly at all. The main “circumstantial evidence” against those they speak of are nothing other than books, posters or other expressions of political ideas. The squats are seen as “centers of power” and indoctrination. They continue absurdly trying to obtain evidence of “illicit association” (conspiracy), for which they begin to mention different squats: the Sacco and Vanzetti Social Center, La Crota, La Idea, El Hogar, the Johnny Cariqueo Social Center, and Cueto con Andes (even though these last are not squats, they remain part of the police phantasies).
Here what is blatantly being put on trial are the ideas of struggle and freedom.
Some articles from the bourgeois press (Spanish): 1, 2.
END TO THE ANTITERRORIST LAW
END TO THE POLITICAL TRIAL
SOLIDARITY NOW!
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