Justice for the Saweto Case

In August 2014, four indigenous Asheninka activists, including Edwin Chota, were murdered in the forests near their community of Saweto, in the Peruvian Amazon.

Chota, a Saweto leader, was ambushed and killed while walking in the forest alongside Jorge Rios, Francisco Pineda, and Leoncio Quintísima.

There was a mountain of evidence implicating Ecofusac, a logging company operating illegally in the area. But for years, prosecutors failed to bring the likely murderers to trial.

After numerous delays, the Saweto murder trial finally began in June 2022. The widows and the community had to take extreme security precautions due to the high-profile nature of the case and its implications for the region’s national and international trade in illegal logging.

In February 2023, the murder suspects were sentenced to 28 years in prison. Then in August 2023, in an unexpected twist, the Peruvian court reversed this decision, threw out the sentence, and ordered a reassessment of the legal process.

The new oral trial is set to start on November 2nd.

The widows and family of the slain men have managed to keep their struggle for justice alive thanks to the support from independent organizations and individuals. The need to support the case and the widows is even greater today given the persistent harassment and murder of environmental defenders and indigenous leaders across the Amazon.

Do your part to support the widows in their quest for the truth through the Justice for the Saweto Case campaign.

Nine years later, a ray of hope… then more impunity

After countless trips to the provincial and national capital to meet with judicial and law enforcement authorities, a federal prosecutor finally brought charges in October 2019 against two logging company executives and three loggers presumed to be the masterminds and perpetrators of the murders.

In February of this year, the accused were sentenced to 28 years in prison, setting a precedent not only in Peru but across Latin America. This ruling prosecuted not just the gunmen but also the masterminds behind the killings of environmental defenders. However, in a shocking turn of events in August, the Peruvian court reversed this decision, nullifying the sentence and calling for a reassessment of the legal process.

Peru’s complicated legal system has meant that the trial took years, and the case was beset by delays for even more time.

The new oral trial is set to start on November 2nd. Once again, the widows and families are resolute in their pursuit of justice. This is a call for global solidarity to stand with them and bring the Saweto case back into the spotlight.

The murder of Indigenous leaders in the Amazon is not a rare occurrence

In recent years, Front Line Defenders and the Human Rights Defenders Memorial recorded at least 358 murders of human rights activists globally; of that total, nearly 60% were land, environment, or indigenous rights defenders. These are ordinary people murdered for defending their homes, forests, and rivers against destructive industries. Countless more were silenced through violent attacks, arrests, death threats, or lawsuits.

These types of murders are rarely prosecuted and justice has been slow to come for the widows of the murdered Asheninka leaders, which is why this case is particularly significant. But despite numerous threats and acts of intimidation, the widows never gave up in their fight for justice since their murders.

Justice for the Saweto Case

Nine years later, a ray of hope… then more impunity

The murder of Indigenous leaders in the Amazon is not a rare occurrence

PAGES

Home

Background

Support the Case

Demand Justice

News

Videos

CONTACT