On 16th April 2009 Croatian-Bolivian national Mario Tadic Astorga was arrested in Santa Cruz during a highly controversial Bolivian police operation which resulted in the suspicious killing of three of his companions. He was then subjected to a politicised trial alleging that he was a conspirator in a plot to assassinate the Bolivian President. Mario and his co-defendants maintain their innocence and believe they are victims of a Bolivian government set-up which aims to discredit the Santa Cruz autonomy movement.
Article 133 of the Bolivian Criminal Procedure Code provides for a maximum of three years for the entire process from the first commencement of a case. Mario Tadic Astorga has currently been detained in excess of three years and seven months without judgement therefore contravening Article 133.
We, the petitioners, call upon all relevant and competent organisations to immediately address this miscarriage of justice with the Bolivian government and secure the release of Mario Tadic Astorga.
