Alberto Fujimori no longer sleeps in prison. The former president of Peru (1990-2000) was released on Wednesday, after serving a twenty-five year sentence since 2009 for crimes against humanity.
He left Barbadillo prison, east of Lima, at 6:29 p.m. aboard a van which cut through the crowd of his supporters. His daughter Keiko, three times unsuccessful candidate in the second round of the presidential election, and his son Kenji, who had repeatedly called for their father’s release, were at his side.
Guilty of the deaths of 25 people
Now aged 85, he was found guilty of the deaths of 25 people in two massacres perpetrated by an army commando as part of what was called the war against terrorism (1980-2000) far-left guerrillas.
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ordered the “immediate” release of the former president who suffers recurrently from respiratory and neurological problems, including facial paralysis. For Cardinal Pedro Barreto, this grace is a “slap in the face”. “In this country, when there is a judicial sentence, it is carried out until the last day, there is no privilege for anyone,” he lambasted.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday called in vain for Peru to “refrain from executing” the decision of the Constitutional Court. But the government of Dina Boluarte authorized his release.
A decision that cannot be appealed
Alberto Fujimori “has served approximately two thirds of his sentence”, the Constitutional Court justified itself, in addition to putting forward its humanitarian arguments. His order, which cannot be appealed, reinstates the pardon granted to Alberto Fujimori in 2017 and which was revoked two years later by the Supreme Court.
The court had already ordered his release in March 2022 but the Inter-American Court of Human Rights had asked the State to “refrain from executing” this decision and the country, then led by left-wing President Pedro Castillo , had this time complied with the decision.
Flee to Japan before extradition
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 for the acts committed by his government, Alberto Fujimori divided Peruvians like few politicians have done in the history of this country of 32 million inhabitants. For some, he is the man who boosted economic growth through his ultraliberal policies, and successfully fought the guerrillas. Others especially remember the corruption scandals and his authoritarian methods.