The decision not to apply the grace granted by President Kuczynski to Alberto Fujimori constitutes an important advance in the fight against impunity for the crimes that occurred in Pativilca, and reinforces the obligation of the Peruvian state to guarantee the right of victims to truth, justice and reparation, said Amnesty International.
Today Court B of the National Criminal Court of Peru decided not to apply the grace granted by President Kuczynski on 24 December, clearing the way for Alberto Fujimori to be finally tried for his alleged responsibility for the murders of six people in the town of Pativilca, considered crimes against humanity.
“Today the victims’ families and Peruvian society have achieved an important step towards justice and preserving the memory of the victims of these crimes. We will continue to support the demands for justice until the truth about the crimes that occurred in Pativilca is established and the rights of the victims and their families are guaranteed”, said Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
In the face of this historic decision, Amnesty International once again demands that the Peruvian state comply with its obligation to investigate and, if there is sufficient and admissible evidence against him, to try Alberto Fujimori for the crimes he is accused of, in addition to guaranteeing truth, justice and reparation for the victims of the serious human rights violations that occurred during the internal armed conflict.
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In 2009, former President Alberto Fujimori was found guilty of murder, abduction and serious injuries perpetrated by his subordinates against dozens of people while he was head of state, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity for the cases of Barrios Altos and La Cantuta.
On 5 June 2017, the Supreme Court of Chile granted the extradition of Alberto Fujimori for the crimes of aggravated homicide and conspiracy to commit a crime, qualifying these as crimes against humanity. In July of the same year, the Third Superior National Criminal Prosecutor’s Office of Peru brought charges against Fujimori seeking 25 years in prison. When President Kuczynski granted the right to grace to Alberto Fujimori on 24 December 2017, the criminal proceedings against him for the Pativilca case were in the stage of review of the charges.
