Argentina: Anarchist Comrades Released from Jail as All Charges Dropped

via: AMWEnglish

On November 14, 2018 the accidental detonation of an explosive device that would be placed in the tomb of the miserable Colonel Falcon in the Recolega Buenos Aires cemetery, produced a series of wounds to the comrade Anahi Salcedo, who was stopped along with someone else in the place. In parallel, another comrade was arrested after being intercepted after throwing an explosive device at the house of Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio.

These three arrests are the beginning of an anti-anarchist hunt that led the State to raid different buildings and social centers, as well as arresting a dozen people who lived or had any relationship with a building occupied as a housing solution.

Today during the first days of July, apparently the prosecution preferred not to continue with the charges due to irregularities in the taking of evidence. Finally, everyone will be released from jail, closing the judicial process against the anarchist comrades.

Below we reproduce a statement from the group of lawyers that took part in the process, the only information so far more or less formal about the situation:

* The union always predicted it *

Many times it happens to the defenders of the Lawyers’ Union that it is difficult for us to explain or it is difficult for us to understand two things.

One is that you have to be patient and let us work without pressure (from families, prisoners or Organizations).

And the other is that you never, never have to believe the enemy (judges, prosecutors, government ministers, etc.) and much less believe them more than the lawyers of the union and, of course, you should not be intimidated.

When there are concrete and defined organizations behind a political prisoner, everything always becomes easier because we talk and resolve with the organization.

When the case of the anarchists began, the Government, Judge Ercolini and Prosecutor Di Lello raised the situation as if we were facing terrible terrorist cells and therefore probable extended sentences were depicted.

It was what our enemies wanted us to believe.

The union told prisoners and relatives to stand, to stay together, to let the defenders work.

We told them above all that the Court and the Police did everything wrong and that this would be paid for dearly as soon as the case arrived at an Oral Court.

The Union came with the experience of Diego Parodi the anarchist arrested in the demonstrations against Welfare Reform.

All the releases we proposed were rejected three times and yet, three days after the case came to the Oral Court, Diego was released and fulfills a simple Probation that erases the crime forever.

Why does this happen?

Because they do everything wrong!

Because they are fed with the Power and the authority and believe that is all they need. That is why they accuse and prosecute for facts and crimes that can never be proven in an Oral Court.

And sometimes also because many on our side believe them, they believe the enemy.

The concrete thing is that both in the case of Diego Parodi and in the case of the anarchists of Colonel Falcón and Judge Bonadio, the judges and the Prosecutors of the Oral Courts saw that it was impossible to judge with such a judicial instruction armed more with political than legal criteria.

This is what is called the PENAL RIGHT OF THE ENEMY, a criminal procedural suit tailored to what different governments qualify as enemies, be they anarchists, be they Mapuches, be they protesters.

The weakness they have is that in the trials the union usually gives them tremendous beatings.

They did not take chances with Diego Parodi and they do not take risks now either.

That’s why they prefer to negotiate giving freedoms.

Something similar happens in the case of the Anarchists.

The Court and the Police came to arrest anyone, to burst premises, clubs, libraries and the most fucked up: to draw a simple fact like explosions in the tomb of Falcón or in the vicinity of Judge Bonadio’s house as if they were highly sophisticated operations and got a dozen people, all in the same bag.

There were comings and goings, mistrust, perhaps operations to divide, and in the end, the union was left with the defense of Anahi Salcedo and Hugo Rodriguez detained in the cemetery and Marco Viola arrested near the judge’s home.

They mocked Anahi for her helplessness due to her serious injuries.

We were rejected by all the Habeas Corpus that still go round in appeals.

Typical of executioners as the federal judges of Py and Lomas and of course the Federal Penitentiary Service.

The union always publicly stated that it would obtain the freedom of the three young anarchists.

The concrete thing is that there were so many errors that even the Oral Court had to return the case to the Judge and Prosecutor to establish the crimes for which they had to judge Anahi and her crimes.

The magnitude of the errors prevented correcting them.

And what the Union said from the beginning happened to happen.

The nine of the Conventillo de Pavón are free.

And ours will be free in a few days.

Conclusion: all will be released.

Neither the Government nor the judges could establish more responsibilities than mere police events.

The attempt to detach our three detainees in the vicinity of the events of the rest also failed.

All, absolutely everyone, without distinction, will be at liberty.

The union fights for all equally and independently of the facts or responsibilities attributed to them.

For the union there are no “good” and “bad” among our assisted.

This is essential for everyone to take it into account for future causes.

For the Union, accustomed to dealing with centralized organizations, it was not easy at first.

We want to thank all those who trusted us and remained firm and loyal to our side.

Especially to the great family of Anahi Salcedo, aunt, sisters, etc.

And also to several anarchist comrades that day by day renewed our confidence.

There is freedom for the anarchists.

Association of Lawyers and Lawyers

July 2019