Saturday, May 12, 2012

American on hunger strike after 11 months in Bolivian prison


This article is about an American man, who was jailed without formal changes in Bolivia for 11 months, and he is nearing on month on a hunger strike to call attention to his case. This man name is Jacob Ostreicher and he is 53 years of age, he became ensnared in a criminal investigation linked to drugs money and was arrested in June of last year on a preliminary charge of money laundering. But his wife and lawyer say they have proven that the source of all the money is legitimate, and wonder if other forces are leading up to keep Mr. Ostreicher, a businessman from Brooklyn locked up. Since M.r. Ostreicher arrest there have been 15 hearing scheduled, but only three actually took place.
 
In mid- April, Ostreicher began a hunger strike, hoping to kick start the justice system in Bolivia as well as rally support back home. Supporters in New York held a demonstration for Ostreicher in front of the Bolivia mission there this month. And the back story of his arrest is complex. It starts with an investment that Ostreicher, an Orthodox Jew and flooring contractor, made in 2008 in a rice operation in Santa Cruz. A group of investors saw opportunity in growing rice, and though Ostreicher didn't put down a lot of money, he began traveling to Bolivia to look after the project.
*  http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/12/world/americas/bolivia-american-hunger-strike/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

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