ex-president Alberto Fujimori released from prison after being pardoned from his sentence for crimes against humanity

The former Peruvian president was found guilty of the deaths of 25 people in two massacres perpetrated by an army commando.

A “slap” for the families of victims. Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison, where he had been serving a 25-year sentence since 2009 for crimes against humanity, on Wednesday December 6.

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of the 85-year-old former president, restoring a pardon granted in 2017 and which was revoked two years later by the Supreme Court. The former strongman of Peru, president from 1990 to 2000, 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 on terrorism (1980-2000) far-left guerrillas.

Alberto Fujimori “has served approximately two thirds of his sentence”, the Constitutional Court justified itself, in addition to putting forward humanitarian arguments such as the respiratory and neurological problems from which the former head of state suffers. The government of President Dina Boluarte authorized his release, despite calls from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to “refrain from execution” this decision.

“The man never asked us for forgiveness”

The Peruvian Association for Human Rights condemned the decision. We “makes fun of families and victims”lamented to AFP Gladys Rubina, sister of one of the victims of the massacres for which Alberto Fujimori was convicted. “The man never asked us for forgiveness and here he walks out, as if nothing had happened”.

His daughter Keiko, three times an unsuccessful candidate in the second round of the presidential election, and his son Kenji, a businessman, who had repeatedly called for the release of their father, were at his side during his release. “My father’s health is fragile. The most important thing is to take care of him and that he recovers little by little. We know that the best therapy is the love of his family”his daughter Keiko told the press outside her home.

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. Then extradited from Chile in 2007, he was convicted and imprisoned two years later.