Amnesty International Raises Alarm Over Prison Release Law: «It Would Directly Benefit Some of History’s Worst Criminals»

Original article: Amnistía Internacional alerta por ley de excarcelación: «beneficiaría directamente a algunos de los peores criminales de nuestra historia»

Amnesty International Warns: «Humanity Cannot Be Selective» Regarding Bill to Commute Sentences for Crimes Against Humanity and Other Offenders

Following the Senate’s general approval of a controversial bill aimed at commuting sentences on humanitarian grounds, Amnesty International Chile, through its director, Rodrigo Bustos Bottai, expressed alarm over what it perceives as a violation of international commitments. This initiative would directly benefit individuals convicted of crimes against humanity, including Miguel Krasnoff, a former DINA agent.

«Automatic release due to age for those convicted of crimes against humanity undermines the duty to investigate, punish, and ensure compliance with sentences,» stated Rodrigo Bustos, the organization’s Executive Director. «Humanity cannot be selective, nor can the pursuit of justice,» he stressed, urging citizens to educate themselves on the implications of this vote.

Read below the full letter from Amnesty International Chile’s Director, Rodrigo Bustos Bottai:

“Humanity” Cannot Be Selective

On Thursday, the Senate approved a contentious proposal that aims to commute the prison sentences of inmates for alleged «humanitarian reasons.» The initiative, put forward by a group of right-wing senators, garnered a narrow majority support of 23 votes in favor and 22 against, and it would directly benefit some of the worst criminals in our history, including “La Quintrala,” “the Alto Hospicio Psychopath,” and even Miguel Krasnoff, a former DINA agent sentenced to over a thousand years for his crimes against humanity, recognized as one of Chile’s most heinous criminals.

Amnesty International Chile is on high alert and believes it is vital for the entire citizenry to be aware, as the approval of this bill would constitute a new infringement of the Chilean state’s commitments regarding human rights, as well as a further signal of promoting impunity.

While humanitarian reasons are relevant when analyzing situations of deprivation of liberty, international human rights law does not consider them sufficient for exemptions such as these. Automatic releases due to age for those convicted of crimes against humanity violate the duty to investigate, punish, and ensure compliance with sentences, impacting the principles of truth, justice, and comprehensive reparation. Both the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Rome Statute require consideration of elements such as effective collaboration with justice, acknowledgment of the damage caused, among others, which this bill does not take into account.

“Humanity” cannot be selective, nor can the pursuit of justice. We want the truth: Do they care about security and justice or not?

Rodrigo Bustos Bottai,
Executive Director of Amnesty International Chile