2023-12-05 23:45:00
Peru’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday ordered the “immediate” release of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, 85, who has been serving a 25-year prison sentence since 2009 for crimes against humanity.
According to an order consulted by AFP, the Constitutional Court “orders” the “immediate” release of the former president (1990-2000) found guilty of the death of 25 people in two massacres perpetrated by an army commando in part of what was called the war on terrorism (1980-2000).
The Court, whose order cannot be appealed, thus reinstates the pardon granted to Mr. Fujimori in 2017 and which was revoked two years later by the Supreme Court.
The court, which ensures respect for fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, had already ordered in March 2022 the release of Mr. Fujimori, who suffers from numerous health problems. But a few weeks later the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, based in Costa Rica, ordered the State to “refrain from executing” this decision.
The country, then led by left-wing President Pedro Castillo, complied with the decision.
The family of the former head of state, detained in the small Barbadillo prison located in a police barracks in the capital, has repeatedly requested his release for health reasons.
The former president suffers recurrently from respiratory and neurological problems, including facial paralysis, and hypertension.
Mr. Fujimori has been hospitalized several times in recent years, most recently in February, in an emergency, for “irregular heart rhythm.”
– Main de fer-
The former president’s lawyer, Elio Riera, went to Barnadillo prison to complete the administrative procedures necessary for the release of Mr. Fujimori.
“The president was very happy, he received the order with great joy,” the lawyer told RPP radio.
Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru with an iron fist but, in the face of growing opposition, fled in November 2000 to Japan, where his family is from. It was by fax that he then announced that he was renouncing his mandate. Then extradited from Chile in 2007, he was convicted and imprisoned two years later.
Despite the request for “forgiveness” made in 2017 by the country’s former strongman for the acts committed by his government, Alberto Fujimori divided Peruvians like few politicians have done in the history of the Andean country. 32 million inhabitants.
For some, the man nicknamed “El Chino” (the Chinese) is the man who boosted the country’s economic growth through his ultra-liberal policies, and successfully fought the Shining Path (Maoist) guerrillas and of the Tupac Amaru (Guevarist) Revolutionary Movement.
Others especially remember the corruption scandals and his authoritarian methods, which landed him behind bars for having ordered two massacres perpetrated by a death squad in 1991-1992, as part of the fight against the Path. luminous.
12/05/2023 22:44:19 – Lima (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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