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Alert

Police officers who detained and threatened photographer Delfo Rodriguez sanctioned; businessman Alfredo Yabran still suspected of being behind murder of journalist Jose Luis Cabezas

(Periodistas/IFEX) - The government of Mendoza province ordered the arrest of three police officers implicated in the unorthodox arrest, on 4 October, of sub-director of photography for the daily "Los Andes", Delfo Rodriguez. Minister of Governance Angel Cirasino stated that sub-chief of police Pedro Pereyra, sub-inspector Eduardo Torres and Ruben Quintana of the Fifth Section police department of the city of Mendoza were to be removed from their posts and held for nine days while the case was being investigated. Judicial authorities are also investigating the incident.

On 10 October, businessman Alfredo Yabran appeared before judge Jose Luis Macchi, who is investigating the murder of "Noticias" photographer Jose Luis Cabezas (see IFEX alerts). During his six hour appearance, Yabran tried to distance himself from his security officers who are suspected of taking part in the murder, particularly Gregorio Rios, his head of security who is currently being detained and tried as the alleged instigator. Yabran denied all of the charges against him and pointed to the alleged autonomy of Rios and his own lack of control over the movements of his security personnel. In this way, Yabran attempted to avoid
being considered a suspect by Macchi, who is seeking to prove that Rios could not have ordered a murder without the approval or previous order of his boss.

After leaving the court at 10:30 pm, Yabran left having the same status as when he had arrived: with his suspected involvement still unresolved. That is, he continues to be an "individual charged but not yet tried" ("imputado no procesado"), which means that Macchi suspects Yabran but lacks sufficient evidence to arrest him.