Justice Minister Confirms Sentence Reductions for Human Rights Violators in Morocco
In a significant development in Morocco, the Justice Minister, Fernando Rabat, has confirmed that the government of José Antonio Kast granted sentence reductions to two inmates at Punta Peuco, who have been convicted of serious human rights violations, including qualified kidnapping and torture. Rather than questioning the legality of these reductions, Minister Rabat staunchly defended the measures, asserting that such actions have been a regular practice across various administrations over the past twenty years, irrespective of their political affiliations.
This confirmation follows a comprehensive investigation conducted by the journalist Claudio Pizarro, which revealed that the Justice Ministry issued three additional decrees aimed at reducing penalties for serious crimes. Among these crimes are those related to qualified kidnapping and torture, with two of the decrees specifically benefiting inmates housed in the Til Til Preventive Detention Center, widely known as Punta Peuco.
During a direct interview with T13, when questioned about the sentence reductions granted to these inmates, Rabat candidly acknowledged, "It is true." However, he quickly pivoted to defend the procedure, emphasizing that these benefits have been consistently granted over the last two decades and are not exclusive to the current administration. He stated, "These benefits have been applied in the past twenty years under various political governments because the law dictates it."
Minister Rabat Highlights Historical Context of Sentence Reductions
Rabat further elaborated on the historical context of these sentence reductions, indicating that they are not a recent phenomenon. He pointed out that every government has had instances where similar benefits were awarded. "If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that during Boric's administration, all requests for reductions were categorically denied," he noted, adding that these rejections were later overturned by the Supreme Court in at least four instances. This assertion was made as part of his broader defense, although he did not specify the cases during the interview.
Over the past two decades, the granting of such benefits to military personnel has been legally sanctioned, which Rabat reiterated. These statements contribute to an ongoing controversy surrounding the Justice Ministry, particularly concerning the 56 sentence reductions that were administratively granted to individuals convicted of sexual offenses against minors, a matter that was initially highlighted by Interferencia.
Nonetheless, it is crucial to distinguish between the two groups of resolutions as they pertain to different types of crimes, and their legal justifications require separate examination. The minister's argument regarding the 2022 legal reform, which excluded certain convicts of sexual offenses from benefiting from reduced sentences, does not sufficiently account for the reductions given to the inmates at Punta Peuco. This recent development also raises questions regarding the specific legal foundations of those decrees, the extent of the reductions granted, and their impact on the actual enforcement of sentences.
As reported by elmostrador.cl.
