Peruvian court approves release of ex-President Alberto Fujimori

On Mar 18, 2022

Peru’s top constitutional court has ruled that former President Alberto Fujimori can be freed from prison, where he had been sentenced to serve until 2032 for human rights violations.

Fujimori, 83, who is serving a 25-year sentence for murder and corruption charges had previously been pardoned on Christmas Eve in 2017. But the Constitutional Tribunal overturned that controversial decision on the grounds that it had been irregular.

The new decision on Thursday reinstates the pardon, following the appointment of judges in recent years who are seen as more sympathetic to the former president.

The judges voted 4-3 to free Fujimori. It was unclear when Fujimori could leave prison or if new legal challenges could halt the decision

Peruvian Prime Minister, Anibal Torres said in response to the ruling that the government must obey it, although he criticised it as a way to guarantee the impunity of the former president.

“I have said in the past that this court should disappear, it is very negative for the country.

“This organism has been doing a lot of damage to the country like in this concrete case.”

Peru’s Constitutional Tribunal is the country’s top court and is separate from the executive branch. Peru is a member of the Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Fujimori’s allies including his daughter Keiko, who has run for president three times have long said he struggles with poor health and deserves a humanitarian pardon.

Fujimori was hospitalised last week and discharged on Monday.

Al-Jazeera