Peru's Supreme Court approves pardon for Alberto Fujimori

An undated photo of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori – Photo: AFP

The President of the Peruvian Constitutional Court, Francisco Morales, said on Wednesday that the Constitutional Court had restored the pardon of former President Alberto Fujimori, which had previously been revoked after rejection by human rights groups.

Fujimori (85 years old) is serving a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations and corruption.

“Alberto Fujimori should be released in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court,” Morales said in an interview with local radio station RBB, referring to the recent ruling issued by the Supreme Court.

The former president was convicted as the direct perpetrator of the massacre of 25 people in the cases of Barrios Altos in 1991 and the University of La Cantota in 1992, when his government was fighting against the leftist Shining Path militia.

Fujimori, who ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, is a polarizing figure. His political legacy lives on in the right-wing Popular Power Party, owned by his daughter Kiko, who lost a close presidential election in 2021 to former President Pedro Castillo, whom he ended up impeaching.