POLICE TORTURE TRANSVESTITES IN ARGENTINA

"The four of them entered and took me to the patio and another joined
pulling my hair, and neck, at  the same time others grabbed both my
legs and opened them by force and squashing my muscles with
their knees, while others twisted my fingers on my right hand and
twisted my other arm.  I screamed desperately as I had a lot of rage
and fear.  They later placed me face down and with my hands behind
my back placed  a straight jacket and begun hitting my stomach and
the truth is that I do not  remember what else happened.  In between
the insults and the threats I could hear the screams of some neighbors
that approached the police station alerted by the screams. This is
Nadia's testimony, activist for the human rights of transvestites, of
the events that occurred on  the 11th January, 1997.

In the last ten years, at least 64 transvestites have been murdered
in the Capital City, and the province  of  Buenos Aires, Argentina,
by the Federal Police without this cases been resolved yet, even
though  OTTRA (Organization of Transvestites and Transexuals of
Argentina), ATA (Argentinean Transvestites Association)  and ALIT
(Association to Fight for Transvestites Identity) presented a
case against the Federal Police years ago.

The "Convencion Estatuyente de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires"
(Legislative Convention of the Government of Buenos Aires)
prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and
arbitrary detentions by the police by the derogation of the police
edicts.  Despite of these, the Federal  Police, loyal to the
principles of the last military dictatorship, without respect for
laws, estatutes,  constitutions or any democratically established
human right, continues the systematic and arbitrary  detentions of
transvestites, young people, lesbians, gays and sex workers, among
others.

Using the police edicts, 400 people were arrested every day in Buenos
Aires, and kept, an average of, 12 hours in police stations.  In the
case of transvestites detentions tend to exceed 24 hours.  They are
humiliated, assaulted, battered, sexually abused and threatened with
murder, when not murdered.

The repression and the torture that transvestites suffer in
Argentina, are a cruel violation of human rights based on sexual
orientation and identity.

We appeal for your solidarity and ask you to collaborate with us in
asking to the National Executive power and to the Buenos Aires
Governor, the end of arbitrary detentions, justice for murdered
transvestites  and the respect of human rights.
Please we ask you to send letters, via mail, fax or e-mail to:

President of  Argentina
Dr. Carlos Saul Menen
Balcarce 50
(1064) Buenos Aires - Argentina
FAX: 331-5123
E-mail: postmaster@presidencia.gob.ar

Ministro del Interior
Dr. Carlos Corach
25 de Mayo 101
(1002) Buenos Aires - Argentina
FAX: 331-1156
E-mail: postmaster@minte.gob.ar

Subsecretaria de Derechos Humanos y Sociales
Dra. Alicia Pierini
Moreno 711 2do piso
(1091) Buenos Aires -  Argentina
FAX: 343-2326
E-mail:   sdhlc@wamani.apc.org.ar
          confed@sdh1.wamani.apc.org.ar

Jefe de Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Dr.Fernando de la Rua
Avda de Mayo 525
(1084) Buenos Aires - Argentina
delarua@ssdnet.com.ar

Please, with copies to:

ALIT - OTTRA - ATA
Casilla de Correo Nro. 117, Suc. 2 B
(1042) Capital Federal
Argentina




A.L.I.T. - A.T.A. - O.T.TR.A. - Act Up, Buenos Aires - Amenaza  Lesbica
(Lesbian Threat)- Biblioteca GLTTB (GLBTT Library) - Escrita  en el Cuerpo
(Lesbian Archives and Library) - Espacio Latinoamericano  para la
Publicacion Lesbica (Latin American Space for Lesbian  Publication) - Gays
D.C. (Gays and Lesbians for Civil Rights) - Grupo  de Jovenes Gays y
Lesbianas "Construyendo Nuestra Sexualidad" (Gay  and Lesbian Youth Group) -
Lesbianas a la Vista (Lesbians on Sight)-  S.I.G.L.A (Sociedad de
Integracion Gay Lesbica Argentina) . -

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.