After several unsuccessful attempts, former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori will regain his freedom. According to an order seen by Agence France-Presse, the country’s Constitutional Court “orders” the Liberation “immediate” of the man who led the country from 1990 to 2000 before being sentenced in 2009 to twenty-five years in prison for “crimes against humanity”. He was found guilty of the deaths of twenty-five people in two massacres perpetrated by an army commando as 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 Fujimori in 2017 and which was revoked two years later by the Supreme Court.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 execution” this decision. The country, then led by left-wing President Pedro Castillo, complied with the decision.
Health problems
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 heartbeat”.
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”declared the lawyer on RPP radio.
A group of supporters dressed in white t-shirts emblazoned with the message “Fujimori Freedom” was also present. Security has been reinforced around the prison, according to images from private television channels. The Association for Human Rights (APRODEH) condemned the decision, considering that it is a snub to the Inter-American Court.
Request for “forgiveness”
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 ” pardon “ formulated in 2017 by the country’s former strongman for the acts committed by his government, Alberto Fujimori divided Peruvians as few politicians have done in the history of the Andean country of 32 million inhabitants.
For some, the man nicknamed “El Chino” (the Chinese) is the man who boosted the economic growth of the country through his ultraliberal policies, and successfully fought the guerrillas of the Shining Path (Maoist) and the Movement revolutionary Tupac Amaru (Guevarist).
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.