Lori Berenson returns to US on parole

GlobalPost

Lori Berenson, an American activist who was convicted of helping guerrillas in Peru, returned to the United States on Tuesday morning for the first time in decades.

Berenson, 42, was arrested as a young woman in 1995 and convicted of being an accomplice to terrorism, the Associated Press reported. She was given a life sentence by a military court, but US pressure led her to be retried by a civilian one.

Berenson, who admitted to helping a rebel group rent a safe house, has insisted she was not part of the group and did not know they stored weapons in the house.

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Berenson arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey around 7:35 a.m. Tuesday. She emerged from the terminal an hour later with her luggage court and toddler son, CNN reported.

She is spending the holidays with her family in New York.

Berenson was released from prison in Nov. 2010 after being granted parole. She must remain in Peru until 2015, with the exception of this trip.

She has said she will return to Peru by Jan. 11, as ordered by the court.

Berenson must stay in Peru until her full sentence finishes. AP stated:

Wearing a black turtleneck, black jeans and designer eyeglasses, Berenson told an Associated Press reporter while waiting for her flight that she intended to return to Peru. Berenson was accompanied by a U.S. Embassy employee.

"I just hope we don't get caught in a snow storm," she said, joking that such an occurrence in the U.S. would delay her return.

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