Peru truth commission resignations

BBC -- 1 June 2002


The entire team of forensic experts working for the Peruvian Truth Commission has resigned.

The head of the team, Jose Baraybar, said unless they were given more autonomy and respect, they could not contribute to the commission's work.

He referred to a case in which they had recently come under pressure in an investigation into the alleged extra-judicial killings of left-wing rebels during the siege at the Japanese ambassador's residence in 1997.

The Commission was set up in Peru last year to investigate allegations of human rights violations during the two-decade war against left-wing rebels.