Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07GEORGETOWN812
2007-08-29 19:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Georgetown
Cable title:
PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP
VZCZCXRO3560 RR RUEHGR DE RUEHGE #0812/01 2411941 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 291941Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5721 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000812
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM GY
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP
GEORGETOWN 00000812 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000812
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM GY
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP
GEORGETOWN 00000812 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) SUMMARY: President Jagdeo paradoned Mark Benschop, the
treason accused detainee who has been imprisoned since 2002
for alleged involvement in storming the Office of the
President. Benschop, whose first trial resulted in a hung
jury in 2004, reluctantly accepted the pardon, but vowed to
continue leading protests against the PPP. Benschop's
release comes at a time when many prominent politicians felt
that prolonging his detention only served to make him a
bigger martyr, and, as such, a potentially valuable political
weapon to be used against the GOG in the future. END SUMMARY.
--------------
JAILED FOR TREASON SINCE 2002
--------------
2. (U) Benschop was jailed in 2002 after he was charged
jointly with PNC Member of Parliament Phillip Bynoe with the
capital offense of treason for alleged involvement in the
July 3, 2002 storming of the Office of the President.
According to the charges, Benschop and Bynoe were the leaders
of the mob of protestors who invaded the Presidential Complex
on that date -- during the ensuing standoff, two protestors
were killed. Benschop has professed his innocence, stating
that he attended the rally as a journalist, not as an
instigator. His first trial for treason ended in a
deadlocked jury (11 innocent, 1 guilty) in 2004. Despite
their failure to convict him at the first trial, the GOG has
kept Benschop imprisoned since 2004 awaiting a retrial on the
same charges.
--------------
PARDONED BY THE PRESIDENT
--------------
3. (U) On August 27th, President Jagdeo used his presidential
powers to pardon Benschop for his role in the 2002 storming
of the Office of the President, stating that Benschop has
learned his lesson while in jail and that he should recognize
what he did was wrong. Speaking at a news conference, Jagdeo
said "Benschop has learnt his lesson that you do not seek to
overthrow a democratically elected government without facing
the consequences." According to Roger Luncheon, the Head of
the Presidential Secretariat, Jagdeo's pardoning of the
prisoner "was motivated by a request by Mr. Benschop" and
that the President "granted a free pardon in the spirit of
magnanimity."
-------------- ---
PARDON RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED, BUT FIGHT CONTINUES
-------------- ---
4. (U) Although Benschop accepted the pardon, he said that he
did so only because of his family and his supporters. Moments
after being released, Benschop vowed to continue the fight
against oppression, hinting at contesting the next local
government polls. Benschop also said that while he commended
Jagdeo for granting him a reprieve, he wanted him to extend
the same mercy to hundreds of others who are locked away on
petty charges in prison. He also said that he sees that
President's pardon as an apology to him, one that he has
accepted.
--------------
THE MAKING OF A MARTYR
--------------
5. (SBU) Last week, the topic of Mark Benschop's continued
detention came up in a meeting between Poloff and Tony Viera,
a Member of Parliament and owner of a prominent television
station. Viera said that the longer the GOG kept Benschop in
prison awaiting re-trial, the more he became a martyr to the
Afro-Guyanese community in Guyana. According to Viera, if
the GOG did not release Benschop in the near future, he would
become a powerful political weapon used against them in the
next elections. Although he did not provide any other names,
Viera said that many other members of the opposition People's
National Congress Reform (PNCR) had also discussed how they
could use Benschop as a political weapon against the ruling
People's Progressive Party (PPP).
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
6. (SBU) The timing of Jagdeo's pardon of Benschop is very
interesting. Post's 2006 Human Rights Report included
Benschop's continued imprisonment without trial under the
"political prisoners and detainees" section. Two weeks ago,
Poloff sent out requests to numerous GOG officials asking for
information that will be used for the 2007 Human Rights
Report. In addition, Benschop supporters had just succeeded
GEORGETOWN 00000812 002.2 OF 002
in gaining the interest of the New York City press because of
a tenuous link between Guiliani and Benschop, who briefly
served as a minor press aide in the Guiliani administration.
Jagdeo's pardon may have been an attempt to avoid an
uncomfortable spotlight.
THOMAS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM GY
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT PARDONS TREASON ACCUSED MARK BENSCHOP
GEORGETOWN 00000812 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) SUMMARY: President Jagdeo paradoned Mark Benschop, the
treason accused detainee who has been imprisoned since 2002
for alleged involvement in storming the Office of the
President. Benschop, whose first trial resulted in a hung
jury in 2004, reluctantly accepted the pardon, but vowed to
continue leading protests against the PPP. Benschop's
release comes at a time when many prominent politicians felt
that prolonging his detention only served to make him a
bigger martyr, and, as such, a potentially valuable political
weapon to be used against the GOG in the future. END SUMMARY.
--------------
JAILED FOR TREASON SINCE 2002
--------------
2. (U) Benschop was jailed in 2002 after he was charged
jointly with PNC Member of Parliament Phillip Bynoe with the
capital offense of treason for alleged involvement in the
July 3, 2002 storming of the Office of the President.
According to the charges, Benschop and Bynoe were the leaders
of the mob of protestors who invaded the Presidential Complex
on that date -- during the ensuing standoff, two protestors
were killed. Benschop has professed his innocence, stating
that he attended the rally as a journalist, not as an
instigator. His first trial for treason ended in a
deadlocked jury (11 innocent, 1 guilty) in 2004. Despite
their failure to convict him at the first trial, the GOG has
kept Benschop imprisoned since 2004 awaiting a retrial on the
same charges.
--------------
PARDONED BY THE PRESIDENT
--------------
3. (U) On August 27th, President Jagdeo used his presidential
powers to pardon Benschop for his role in the 2002 storming
of the Office of the President, stating that Benschop has
learned his lesson while in jail and that he should recognize
what he did was wrong. Speaking at a news conference, Jagdeo
said "Benschop has learnt his lesson that you do not seek to
overthrow a democratically elected government without facing
the consequences." According to Roger Luncheon, the Head of
the Presidential Secretariat, Jagdeo's pardoning of the
prisoner "was motivated by a request by Mr. Benschop" and
that the President "granted a free pardon in the spirit of
magnanimity."
-------------- ---
PARDON RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED, BUT FIGHT CONTINUES
-------------- ---
4. (U) Although Benschop accepted the pardon, he said that he
did so only because of his family and his supporters. Moments
after being released, Benschop vowed to continue the fight
against oppression, hinting at contesting the next local
government polls. Benschop also said that while he commended
Jagdeo for granting him a reprieve, he wanted him to extend
the same mercy to hundreds of others who are locked away on
petty charges in prison. He also said that he sees that
President's pardon as an apology to him, one that he has
accepted.
--------------
THE MAKING OF A MARTYR
--------------
5. (SBU) Last week, the topic of Mark Benschop's continued
detention came up in a meeting between Poloff and Tony Viera,
a Member of Parliament and owner of a prominent television
station. Viera said that the longer the GOG kept Benschop in
prison awaiting re-trial, the more he became a martyr to the
Afro-Guyanese community in Guyana. According to Viera, if
the GOG did not release Benschop in the near future, he would
become a powerful political weapon used against them in the
next elections. Although he did not provide any other names,
Viera said that many other members of the opposition People's
National Congress Reform (PNCR) had also discussed how they
could use Benschop as a political weapon against the ruling
People's Progressive Party (PPP).
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
6. (SBU) The timing of Jagdeo's pardon of Benschop is very
interesting. Post's 2006 Human Rights Report included
Benschop's continued imprisonment without trial under the
"political prisoners and detainees" section. Two weeks ago,
Poloff sent out requests to numerous GOG officials asking for
information that will be used for the 2007 Human Rights
Report. In addition, Benschop supporters had just succeeded
GEORGETOWN 00000812 002.2 OF 002
in gaining the interest of the New York City press because of
a tenuous link between Guiliani and Benschop, who briefly
served as a minor press aide in the Guiliani administration.
Jagdeo's pardon may have been an attempt to avoid an
uncomfortable spotlight.
THOMAS