He wanted to bring a "souvenir" of Falklands, but was arrested and had to pay nearly $ 50,000 to leave the islands – 04/12/2019

March 23, Daniel Sebastián Ujhelly He went to the Falkland Islands to participate in the most southern race in the world, the "Puerto Argentino Marathon". But what was at first a trip with a very strong emotional charge ended with a great headache for the lawyer and marathoner who lives in the corrient city of Curuzú Cuatiá.

As Clarín explained at that time, Ujhelly attempted to leave the Falklands with a "souvenir" that he had found in Monte Longdon, where one of the 1982 war fights took place On March 30, while he was about to return to the mainland At Mount Pleasant Airport, it was detected – by X-rays – that in the suitcase shipped by the lawyer, there was a 7 mm ammunition, for what has been retained and made available to the authorities.

"It was a very ballironically Ujhelly in dialogue with the agency Telam.Her stay lasted until April 7, because he had to face several hours of arrest and a brief trial that was followed and ended by the payment of a fine of 800 pounds, which they represent about 48,600 pesos. "They accused me of possession of war ammunition"says the lawyer, who had to pay this figure to be able to leave the islands.

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Ujhelly explained that he had found the ammunition during a visit to Mount Longdon, one of the locations where one of the bloodiest fights of the Falklands wars was taking place, and that he had taken as a souvenir because it was a "piece of history". .

As reported by Penguin News -the main media of the islands-, the prosecutor of the case, Stuart Walker, explained that the Argentine lawyer had not declared ammunition, despite alarm signals regarding prohibited items in a flight.

"The Islands Attorney has behaved well and said that I was not dangerous, that the ammunition did not really represent a danger to aviation and that staying in the hold did not represent a danger to the aviation and that staying in the hold did not represent a danger to the air force. There would be no access, "said Ujhelly, who had to face on the islands. a brief trial that included a videoconference with London. "The London prosecutor was angry with me and accused me of more or less attempts at a terrorist attack," he said.

According to the Penguin News, the judge at the Court, James Brooks, pointed out that if a similar lack in the UK could mean a sentence with deprivation of liberty of up to five yearsin the islands "there was no such recommendation, but at most a maximum sentence of three months in prison".

However, he considered that absence judges should take into account "the early recognition of the defendant's responsibility, his willingness to cooperate and his apparent lack of intent to use the ammunition for the purposes for which it was intended. created. "

Finally, the missing judges Derek Clarke, Anton Liversmore and Paul Freer he was fined 800 pounds, which was added to the other expenses the marathoner had to face, who had to take another plane ticket and extend his week-long stay at an island hotel.

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"I could have appealed the sentence, but if they granted me a hearing within three weeks, this represented an additional expense to stay in. The London prosecutor and the local judges were tough on the fine, "he complains, as well as the treatment he received from the police. local

"They treated me like a criminal. They made me get out the belt, the laces, the collar and other elements. They detained me until they interrogated me and accused me, about six hours in total, "recalled the attorney, who n? He did not ask for help from the Argentine Foreign Ministry, and on Sunday May 7, he was able to leave the islands on the weekly flight to the Chilean town of Punta Arenas. Río Gallegos and, via Buenos Aires, he finally arrived at his home in Curuzú Cuatiá Wednesday of this week.

This incident is in addition to other recent incidents in which several Argentineans have been arrested and even expelled from the islands for carrying Argentine flags.

With information from Telam.

JPE