# Lori Berenson and the Tupac Amaru **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 18, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lori-berenson-and-the-tupac-amaru/33639 "2000-09-18T18:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lori-berenson-and-the-tupac-amaru/33639/1 "2000-09-18T18:25:56Z")
This subject has come up a lot in the news recently, especially with Fujimori’s decision to step down (a quick biased rundown can be found [here.](http://www.connix.com/~harry/lori.htm)) Most of the sites I’ve seen ([www.freelori.org](http://www.freelori.org)) proclaim that she is innocent. While it is apparent that she did not receive a fair trial, is she innocent? Some of her recent defenders have claimed that: -She has never admitted to being a member or associate of the Tupac Amaru (MRTA). -She was portrayed as crazy by the government. -“the government’s initial claims that Lori falsified press credentials and rented a house allegedly occupied by terrorists have been proven false.” Although she did not admit to being a member of the MRTA, she doesn’t deny it either and her statement is very pro-MRTA. Most people consider MRTA a terrorist organization. And it didn’t appear that the gov’t did any editing to make her appear crazy- I saw the footage and she was ranting all by herself (although defenders have chalked this up to torture and sleep deprivation). I guess the debate is: is she innocent? Is there evidence that the fake press credentials and renting the terrorist safe house are false? IS there any evidence either way that we’re not aware of? ---
**Author:** ![labdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5fc32e/32.png) [@labdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labdude)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lori-berenson-and-the-tupac-amaru/33639/2 "2000-09-19T06:04:05Z")
All the information I have seen on this has been from left wing sites. But she would have to be the dumbest person in the world to be 100% innocent. She had the leftwing terrorists living in her house!!! That said, she has probably spent enough time in jail for her crimes. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lori-berenson-and-the-tupac-amaru/33639/3 "2004-12-03T18:41:41Z")
Well, it looks like her legal team (including super-patriot Ramsey Clark) weren’t able to have her sentence overturned in [The Inter-American Court of Human Rights](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6991730). We’ll see you in 10 years Lori. > [@](#): > > …Lori Berenson, whose 20-year sentence on terrorism was upheld by the region’s top rights court, was the victim of a political campaign to turn the court against her, her lawyer said on Friday… > > “For two weeks running up to this ruling, there was a very tough media campaign led by lawmakers and ministers … to put pressure on the judges and cast doubt on the court’s legitimacy in the event they ruled in Berenson’s favor,” said her lawyer, Jose Sandoval… > > “The (campaign) caused doubt in the court … we initially understood the court had taken a favorable position toward Lori Berenson,” he added. > > Berenson was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to life for treason in 1996 as a leader of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. That conviction was overturned in 2000 and a retrial ordered in 2001, at which she was convicted of the lesser charge of terrorist collaboration… Where have you gone William Kuntsler? Marxist revolutionaries turn their lonely eyes to you.