Break-in at home and theft of work database of Miluska Luzquiños
On 8 June 2019, the home of woman human rights defender Miluska Luzquiños was broken into, and important digital and physical materials used in the work of RedLacTrans were stolen. The police formally opened an investigation on the case, however, there are no developments registered so far.
Miluska Luzquiños is the National Coordinator of RedLacTrans in Peru. As a trans woman and a lawyer, she has worked over the past years to promote advocacy, protection and capacity-building for the LGBTI+ community in the country. She has gained national recognition for her work as a human rights defender, and has advocated for the adoption of a law on gender identity.
On 8 June 2019, the home of woman human rights defender Miluska Luzquiños was broken into, and important digital and physical materials used in the work of RedLacTrans were stolen. The police formally opened an investigation on the case, however, there are no developments registered so far.
Miluska Luzquiños is the National Coordinator of RedLacTrans in Peru. As a trans woman and a lawyer, she has worked over the past years to promote advocacy, protection and capacity-building for the LGBTI+ community in the country. She has gained national recognition for her work as a human rights defender, and has advocated for the adoption of a law on gender identity.
In the morning of 8 June 2019, the home of human rights defender Miluska Luzquiños was broken into. Unidentified perpetrators took documents, including the passports of two members of the organisation, and objects such as laptops, flash drives and cellphones, all containing sensitive information crucial to the work of RedLacTrans. A safe was also stolen, containing the tokens allowing the organisation to access its bank accounts. The stolen materials included information on the organisation’s advocacy plans, especially regarding their work on the promotion of the draft law on gender identity (proyecto de Ley de Identidad de Género).
The incident was reported to the San Borja district police in Lima. Although an investigation has been opened, to date, the police has not visited the home of Miluska Luzquiños to gather evidence.
Front Line Defenders is worried about the break-in at the house of Miluska Luzquiños and the theft of RedLacTrans’ databases and advocacy plans, as it is believed to constitute an attempt to curtail her human rights work. Front Line Defenders is also worried about the lack of meaningful investigations prioritising the links between the attacks or thefts against LGBTI+ human rights defenders and the character of their work. Front Line Defenders expresses further concern about the continuous lack of acknowledgement by the Peruvian authorities of the targeted character of violence against LGBTI+ human rights defenders, which is instead treated as common crime.
