Court documents and images captured the ailing ex-leader outside a Lima prison, following an order from the Constitutional Court of Peru on Tuesday for his immediate release.
Peru’s controversial former President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison on Wednesday, marking a surprising turn of events in the aftermath of his sentence for endorsing a death squad operation in the country
This decision restored a medical pardon granted in 2017 by then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a gesture grounded in humanitarian concerns. The original pardon, however, was revoked by the Supreme Court a year later, prompting former President Alberto Fujimori‘s return to incarceration.
Former President Alberto Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, held a divisive role in Peruvian politics during his tenure from 1990 to 2000, marked by a resignation due to a bribery scandal. Despite being credited for quelling Shining Path terrorists and implementing economic policies that curbed hyperinflation, his authoritarian tactics drew criticism. In 2009, a Supreme Court tribunal sentenced him to 25 years for authorizing a death squad implicated in the killing of civilians.
Kuczynski’s office justified the initial pardon by pointing to former President Alberto Fujimori’s irreversible ailment
Fujimori, in a hospital video, expressed thanks while acknowledging the mixed views on his government’s achievements and seeking forgiveness. The 2017 pardon sparked two nights of fervent protests in Lima, highlighting public anger over Fujimori’s ties to a death squad responsible for unlawful killings and kidnappings. Apart from these allegations, subsequent trials convicted him of various offenses, including breaking into a former spy chief’s residence, misusing government funds, sanctioning illegal wiretaps, and engaging in bribery of officials and journalists.
Leave a Reply