Action Update: Letters to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Needed in Support of Alvaro
For years the Committee and Alvaro have been trying to convince the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States to formally investigate and take up Alvaro’s case, to help push for his freedom. Although they originally denied our petition, this past January, following a letter from Alvaro, IACHR informed us that they are going to “reconsider” their decision to turn down Alvaro’s case.
Coupled with our renewed FOIA requests and continued efforts to shed public light on the tremendous injustice of Alvaro’s political imprisonment, IACHR’s potential embrace of Alvaro’s struggle could make a significant difference in our efforts to mobilize support and reenter the courts to establish Alvaro’s innocence.
Correspondingly, we feel that a strong yet respectful letter writing campaign to the IACHR may indeed help to demonstrate the importance and urgency of the need to get IACHR on board with our efforts. Please send letters urging IACHR to take up Alvaro’s case and defend his rights under international law. Letters should be written to Executive Secretary Canton and mailed to:
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
17TH Street & Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20006
—
Below is a sample letter:
Dear Executive Secretary Canton,
I am writing in response to your letter to the Committee to Free Alvaro Luna Hernández of January 11, 2012, informing Mr. Hernández and the committee that the Secretariat would “reconsider” its decision on Mr. Hernández’s case, [P-
1033-08] and in particular, our request that you reverse last year’s decision “to not proceed.” It would be most beneficial at this juncture to have the petition reviewed and supported in a meaningful way by the IACHR, thereby lending
credence to current regional and federal (FOIA/PIA) Freedom of Information Act/Public Information Act requests underway by the committee.
We at the Committee to Free Alvaro Luna Hernández appreciate the kind regards to Mr. Hernández and generous response by offering a supplemental review of the case. After all, we eagerly anticipate these results of the new study
by the Commission and trust it will be a positive one in deciding to assist our campaign to free Mr. Hernández.
On behalf of Alvaro Luna Hernández and the committee, I leave you with these encouraging words: freedom is merely a word unless we truly know what it is and understand the full meaning of it.
________________ __,
__________________,
Committee to Free Alvaro Luna Hernández
__________________,
__________________