New attempt to secure release of American woman in Peru

Lawyers and family of an American woman, Lori Berenson -- who's serving a life sentence on terrorism charges in Peru -- have filed a complaint with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

They maintain Miss Berenson is innocent, and are demanding her release.

She was jailed in 1995 by a secret court, which found her guilty of plotting with members of the left-wing Tupac Amaru guerrilla movement to storm the Peruvian Congress building.

In October, following pressure from the same Inter-American commission, the Peruvian authorities set free a Peruvian teacher who'd been tortured into confessing membership of the Shining Path rebel group.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service