Four trade unionists come to trial for the illegitimate deprivation of liberty of a former Nation official

2023-05-08 18:30:47

The referents of the Autonomous CTA and from different social organizations, Claudia Reyes, Zulma Dávila, Romeo Aguiar and Miguel Báez -former head of ODEL and currently under house arrest- They will face the trial for “illegitimate deprivation of liberty through threats” from tomorrow, which will take place in the Federal Court of Roca. The process will take three days. and the Criminal Code provides for this crime a penalty ranging from 2 to 6 years in prison.

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The events occurred in the 2019, when the former head of the Nation’s Social Development area, Miriam Saigg, suffered a siege not only at her workplace but also at her private home by various social and trade organizations.

The trial will begin tomorrow -starting at 9am- and will continue on May 18 and 19; and there will be 17 witnesses who will go through the courtroom of the court located in Spain and San Martín. One-person judge Alejandro Silva will lead the hearings.

The Public Ministry will be represented by prosecutors Rafael Vehils Ruiz and Juan García Barrese. While the defense of the four defendants will be assumed by the criminal lawyer Diego Broggini.

In dialogue with RIO NEGRO RADIO, The former official recalled the events that occurred mainly in her house located on Isidro Lobo street and confirmed that during the protest they did not let her leave. “They threw eggs and apples at us, said Saigg, who recalled that the confrontation had been generated when he tried to put in order the benefits that were delivered from the Social Development area.

“They held us hostage for almost 24 hours”Saigg said when evaluating the situation he had to go through at his home in 2019.

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There is no possibility of agreement

The former head of Social Development of the Nation also He maintained that he is not willing to make any kind of agreement with the accused (abbreviated trial) and that all it seeks is that in the process, the leaders assume their responsibility for the events that occurred during their tenure at the head of the organization.

Saigg suffered from the siege at his home and eventually resigned from his position. It was in September 2019. photo: archive.

On this point, he assured that now Báez fell into disgrace but at that time «He filled his mouth saying that the one who sent them was Aguiar father (who is in Buenos Aires) which was Aguiar’s strike force. Everyone knows that the organization for the unemployed was run by Báez but in turn added to the CTA and all the women,” Saigg said during telephone interviews.

What are they accused of?

According to the research of Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), the four leaders -among which is the son of the assistant secretary of ATE Nacional Rodolfo Aguiar- in September 2019 “jointly and in coordination with each other and in turn with the participation of approximately 60 people who are members of the social groups CTA de Río Negro, MAP (Movimiento de Acción Popular), MP (Resistencia Alta Barda) and the The ODEL Group, directed and under the orders of the defendants mentioned in the first place, established themselves at the door of the house inhabited by Lic. Edit Miriam Saigg, local Coordinator of the Ministry of Social Development of the Nation”.

Once in the place they placed “wood, sticks, covers that they set on fire, posters with intimidating phrases, flags alluding to the groups they represented, settling in the place, through a camp, where they played drums, threw eggs at the house and insulted Ms. Saigg shoutingpreventing the aforementioned official from mobilizing freely.”

The prosecutor explained in the indictment that they confined her to her home for at least two hours and during that time they prevented him from leaving. «They made demands and requests, making threatening statements such as those made by Miguel Ángel Báez: “If Miriam Saigg does not come out to give answers, we are going to stay for as long as necessary and we are going to take forceful measures, we are going to make a camp and we are going to fill the house with eggs«.