Peru Upholds Life Sentence

The military’s highest court Friday upheld the sentence of life in prison without parole for an American woman convicted of aiding leftist guerrillas.

Lori Berenson, 26, was convicted of treason Jan. 11 for helping rebels in a foiled plot to kidnap congressional representatives.

Berenson’s family and the U.S. State Department have objected to Berenson’s trial in a secret military court. They said the New York native should have been tried in an open civilian court.

Berenson’s attorney, Grimaldo Achahui, said Friday he had not yet been notified of the military’s Supreme Council rejection of Berenson’s appeal but had heard of it through the Peruvian news media.

Achahui said that under Peruvian law there is no appeal beyond the Supreme Council in cases tried in military court.