Legal Journals

Peru: Fujimori Convicted

By ltieh

Last Tuesday, the Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori was convicted of “crimes against humanity” for his role in the 1990s killings and kidnappings by security forces when his government fought against leftist guerrillas. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Notably, this verdict marks the first time an elected head of state has been tried and convicted of a human rights crime after extradition back to his home country. The three judge panel found Fujimori guilty of “creating and authorizing a military intelligence death squad that killed innocent people.” (WP).

During the trial, which lasted 16 months, Fujimori argued he was a wartime president protecting the people of his nation, and he never ordered the killings perpetrated by the Army Intelligence Service.  Judge Cesar San martin disagreed and held that Fujimori had clearly authorized the creation of the death squad.

Fujimori’s political movement remains popular. His followers currently hold 13 out of 120 seats in Peru’s Congress.  Fujimori’s daughter, Keiko Fujimori, is campaigning for the Peruvian presidency and has vowed to appeal the conviction.

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Full post as published by Harvard International Law Journal Digest on April 12, 2009 (boomark / email).