September, 2011

Solidarity with Raúl Zaffaroni

In addition to other organizations to which we endorse, Mothers of Plaza

de Mayo—Founding Line expresses its support for Judge Raúl Zaffaroni

and repudiates the dirty campaign that seeks both to harm him

personally and to discredit the Supreme Court of Justice itself, whose

renovation is in large part thanks to the incorporation of Zaffroni to its

ranks.

Our highest court has given in recent years consistent signs of

independence, along with a commitment to human rights and to rights of

workers, the retired, and of those have stood trial before this court.

Furthermore, it has stated the need for government policies to protect

the environment and public health.

 Desperately holding onto unjustified privileges of dubious origins, those

who promote this dirty campaign are trying to intimidate members of the

Supreme Court, all while questions of extreme importance are awaiting

resolution, such as the full enforcement of the Law of Audiovisual Media

and the application of the disinvestment clause.

The attack against Raúl Zaffaroni lacks any legitimate basis.  The judge

is being accused of heading a prostitution ring in properties of his. It is

well known the Judge has nothing to do with the tenants of these

properties and that they were rented through a real estate agency.

There is no indication that places into doubt the good intentions of his

actions.

Our great jurist has presented in the past few months a fundamentally

important book:  La Palabra de los muertos (The word of the dead).

There he defines media criminology as a discourse in which the media

exercises, with its broad scope of power, a power of indictment based on

prejudices, exaggerations, destruction of  reflective caution, exposition

of stereotypes, and powerful implicit impacts on public sensitivity.  It is

that media criminology that he so clearly conceptualized that has now

selected him as its victim.

Those carrying out the campaign are not interested in the issue of who

was running the prostitution ring, nor are they interested in combating

human trafficking, nor finding out if competent judicial workers are

carrying out a serious investigation, nor anything else of this sort.  Very

little interest in such matters can be had by those who have had a

source of income from these criminal activities for the advertisements in

their campaign.  They set up their own court in an attempt to discredit

their victims and bring about their lynching.

 The worst thing for us to do is to put ourselves on the defensive and

keep silent.  When expressing our solidarity with Raúl Zaffaroni, we

establish that we are not willing to be intimidated, that we condemn the

manipulation and harassment carried out by those who have no limits

when it comes to defending their privileges, and that we demand the full

right of Raúl Zaffaroni and of each and every one of the members of the

Supreme Court of Justice to carry out their judicial duties and tenure

with complete freedom and independence.

-Mothers of Plaza de Mayo= Fouding Line, and other organizations and

individuals.