Original article: 20 años más para Krassnoff por secuestros y sustracción de menores: Kast admitió haberlo visitado en Punta Peuco y Kaiser no descarta indulto
The Judicial Power reported that the minister in charge of human rights cases at the Santiago Court of Appeals, Paola Plaza González, has sentenced Miguel Krassnoff Martchenko to 20 years in prison for his role as the perpetrator in the qualified kidnapping of 15 political prisoners, as well as for the abduction of two minors. These offenses occurred between January and September of 1974 at the Londres 38 detention center. Additionally, the ruling mandates civil compensation for the victims.
Krassnoff Sentenced at Londres 38: 20 Years for Kidnappings and Child Abduction
According to the ruling (Rol 75-2016, notebooks A, B, and C), these events are tied to the actions of DINA, which carried out a repressive policy against opposition through illegal detentions, torture during interrogations, and forced disappearances at Londres 38, among other clandestine sites. The resolution details the victims and reaffirms Krassnoff’s criminal responsibility.
Krassnoff: A Criminal Record Exceeding Four Digits
This new sentence adds to the numerous previous convictions of the former brigadier. Known as “The Russian”, Krassnoff is serving his sentences at Punta Peuco (now Tiltil Penitentiary Center), where he has never acknowledged his involvement in the crimes against humanity committed under DINA’s command. Despite his repeated convictions, he remains a notorious symbol of systematic repression during the military dictatorship; his accumulated prison sentence exceeds a thousand years.
Kast Visited Him in Punta Peuco; Kaiser Does Not Dismiss Pardon
José Antonio Kast, the presidential candidate of the Republican Party, publicly acknowledged that he visited Miguel Krassnoff in Punta Peuco. According to El Mostrador, he stated: “I have been to Punta Peuco twice, and on one of those visits, I had the opportunity to meet him. He gifted me his book and presents his version of events. I know Miguel Krassnoff, and seeing him, I do not believe all the things said about him.” Meanwhile, Johannes Kaiser (presidential candidate of the Libertarian National Party) has indicated that he does not rule out granting a pardon to Krassnoff should he come to power, a position that has drawn criticism from the Human Rights Institute (INDH) and human rights organizations.
Compensation and Human Rights Context
The ruling also includes civil compensation for the victims of the case and is part of investigations into human rights violations perpetrated by state agents during the dictatorship, with Londres 38 identified as one of the primary centers for detention and torture.
