ATTACK AGAINST KAREN FISCHER REPORTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001604

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM GT
SUBJECT: ATTACK AGAINST KAREN FISCHER REPORTED



1. (U) On June 23, major daily "Prensa Libre" reported that
Karen Fischer, former Special Prosecutor against Corruption
and private plaintiff in the 1993 murder of "El Grafico"
publisher Jorge Carpio Nicolle, was the target of an
attempted assault June 19. EconCouns contacted Fischer, who
reported that three men were waiting in front of her
Guatemala city home when she returned from her farm, and that
one of the men had fired at her car, injuring a bodyguard.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) will hold a
hearing on the Carpio case on July 5, and Fischer believed
that the attack against her could be related to the case.


2. (U) While in route to a political rally in El Quiche on
July 3, 1993, Jorge Carpio Nicolle, founder of the National
Central Union party (UCN),twice presidential candidate, and
then Head of Congress, was stopped in his car and shot to
death, along with three members of his campaign team. Though
surface investigations by the Public Ministry attributed the
murder to an attempted robbery, human rights leaders have
maintained that ex-civil self defense patrollers (ex-PACs)
from Jocopilas were responsible. Carpio's ex-daughter-in-law
and former private secretary, Karen Fischer, has been active
as a private plaintiff and spokesperson for the prosecution
of Carpio's death, both in the Guatemalan legal system and in
the IACHR.


3. (U) Guatemala press attributed the attack against Fischer
to the upcoming July 5 hearing on the Carpio case in the
IACHR. Fischer was unharmed, but one of her bodyguards was
injured and briefly hospitalized. EconCouns spoke to
Fischer, who told him that she was uncertain about whether
the incident could be related to the IACHR hearing. Fischer,
who requested no assistance from the Embassy, reported that
Attorney General Juan Luis Florido, Interior Minister Arturo
Soto, and Human Rights Ombudsman Sergio Morales had also
called her to expressed concern.


4. (C) MINUGUA official Tim Koenigs told the Ambassador
June 23 that their initial inquiry raised some questions as
to what may actually have happened. He noted that Fischer
had not reported the incident until a day after it happened,
that she (a former prosecutor) had made no effort to secure
the crime scene and that the lightly injured bodyguard was
avoiding being questioned by police. Koenig said the Office
of the Human Rights Ombudsman had its doubts, too. Fischer
told EconCouns that she had assumed that the police would be
notified by the hospital and had reported the shooting the
next day after learning that the police were still unaware.
To this point, the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Human
Rights Ombudsman's office (PDH) have still not been able to
question the injured bodyguard further to clarify his
testimony. Koenig said it may be difficult under the
circumstances to determine the truth; stressing that he/his
staff were speculating. Koenig said embarrasment over an
accidental discharge may have led the bodyguard to come up
with the version of an assault.


5. (C) The June 23 edition of Prensa Libre also reported
that Frank LaRue, head of the President's Commission on Human
Rights (COPREDEH) received a death threat against himself and
Fischer in relation to the Carpio case. However, LaRue
downplayed the report to HROff, stating that though a
anonymous caller to COPREDEH did mention both individuals,
he did not consider the call a genuine threat.


5. (SBU) On June 28, daily "El Periodico" published a paid
advertisement from Fischer, thanking the PDH, Minister Soto,
the international community, and others for their support
following the attack. Comment. The PNC have provided
protection for Fischer coordinated by COPREDEH for the past
three years and will continue to do so. The silver lining in
this incident is that it has drawn increased international
and press attention to the outcome of the IACHR's upcoming
ruling in the previously low-profile Carpio case.
HAMILTON