MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trial of Jeanine Áñez in Bolivia: FCDO shares questions on judges independence and calls for judicial reform

A Bolivian court convicted ex-President Jeanine Áñez, among other accused, to ten years imprisonment

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a statement following the verdict in the trial of Jeanine Áñez in Bolivia and encourages the Bolivian government to engage in good faith with substantive judicial reform

The FCDO spokesperson said on Tuesday,

”We note the recent verdict by a Bolivian court regarding ex-President Jeanine Áñez, among other accused, her conviction to ten years imprisonment, the issuing of the full verdict, and the statement by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR) in Bolivia.

“We share the procedural concerns raised by the UNHCHR about the manner in which this trial was conducted. We further share the concerns of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges, Diego García-Sayán, about apparent political interference in the judicial process.

”We welcome the UNHCHR’s continued commitment to the human rights agenda in Bolivia, as well as their statement on the need for broad reform of the Bolivian justice system. We encourage the Bolivian government to engage in good faith with substantive judicial reform”.