The highest court in Peru, the Constitutional Court, ruled on Tuesday that the country's 85-year-old former president, Alberto Fujimori, must be freed from prison. He was serving a 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity while serving as the president of Peru.

According to France 24, Fujimori was jailed back in 2009 over massacres committed by army death squads from 1991-1992 in what were supposed to be anti-terrorist operations. Around 25 people died in those operations which happened in the early years of his decade-long tenure as president.

Because of his advanced age, Fujimori had been suffering health problems while in prison. This included him being hospitalized back in February thanks to an irregular heartbeat.

The ruling reinstated a pardon previously given to him but was then revoked by the Supreme Court in 2019. That pardon was given for "humanitarian reasons" because of his age and various health problems.

The Constitutional Court reversed this decision and once again ordered his release in 2022. However, this was opposed by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which urged Peru not to free him. The country agreed and he stayed in prison.

The ruling, which went down last Tuesday, cannot be appealed, which means that the former president must be released from prison.

Peru Courts Blocked Alberto Fujimori's Pardon Days Before Constitutional Court's Release Order

The issue of Fujimor's pardon has been a back-and-forth situation in Peru for years as the former president still has massive support within the country despite the heinous crimes that he was found guilty of.

Just days before the Constitutional Court ordered his release, courts blocked the imprisoned former leader's pardon. On that same day, the courts also ruled that his daughter and political heir, Keiko Fujimori, must face trial for her money laundering charges, dealing a blow to what was once Peru's most powerful family.

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Keiko Fujimori had been a political powerhouse in Peru, serving in Congress but had failed to win the presidency thrice. Her last defeat was against the now-deposed Pedro Castillo back in 2021.

Despite her father being freed, she will stand on trial for the Odebrecht bribery scandal which she was caught up in. According to Reuters, she is accused of receiving illegal campaign contributions from the infamous Brazilian construction company, which was known to bribe dozens of Peruvian politicians, including former President Alejandro Toledo, who is also serving time for his involvement in the scandal. He is imprisoned alongside Alberto Fujimori and Pedro Castillo.

Former Peru President Alberto Fujimori

Alberto Fujimori was elected president of Peru in 1990. However, in 1992, he dissolved Congress so he can stay in power longer, as his tenure lasted until 2000 when he fled the country to Japan where he resigned.

During the early years of his tenure, he was dealing with the Shining Path communist rebels. However, the way he dealt with them was brutal as he sent death squads to deal with the situation, leading to various human rights abuses. He was also accused of corruption during his long rule as president.

According to the Associated Press, he was granted pardon by then-President Pablo Kuczynsk, but this was soon annulled thanks to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. This status of him being pardoned and still being imprisoned then began since 2017 after the pardon was implemented.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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