1. Former Peruvian President Fujimori conviction a milestone
Former Peruvian President Fujimori's conviction a milestone
Sara Miller Llana. The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Mass.: Apr 7, 2009. pg. 6
Abstract (Summary)
Hugo Relva, a legal adviser for Amnesty International who monitored the entire trial in
Lima, says that several court cases involving human rights claims are pending, both
among members of paramilitary forces in Peru and against other officials in countries
across the region.
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Full Text (578 words)
Copyright The Christian Science Monitor Apr 7, 2009
The conviction Tuesday of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on human rights
charges - including authorizing murder and kidnapping - has been hailed by some as a
milestone for justice in Latin America.
Mr. Fujimori, who ruled Peru throughout the 1990s, is the first democratically elected
leader in the region found guilty, in his own country, of human rights abuses.
But the conviction is also an important moment for national healing in Peru, says Efrain
Gonzales, the vice rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima.
While about one third of the country still supports the former leader, he says Peru can
move forward from old tensions that surfaced during the 15-month trial. quot;It is an
acceptance that we had a problem. He is guilty. There is a lot of evidence against him,quot;
says Mr. Gonzales. quot;The nation can move forward from here.quot;
Some 70,000 people were killed during a 20-year conflict between the military and
Maoist guerrillas in Peru. Fujimori, who was elected in 1990, was widely popular for
free-market economic policies that saved Peru from near collapse and for defeating the
Shining Path guerrilla fighters.
But amid corruption charges, his administration faltered and he fled to Japan, where his
parents were born, in 2000. Five years later he attempted a return to Chile, apparently to
begin a political comeback, but was extradited to Peru in 2007 to face human rights and
corruption charges.
Crimes against humanity
A three-judge panel convicted Fujimori of quot;crimes against humanity,quot; which include the
death of 25 people by military death squads. One incident involves a military raid that
killed 15 people in 1991. The next year, a group of students and a professor disappeared.
The former president was also convicted of ordering the kidnapping of a journalist and
businessman. He had pleaded innocent. quot;The charges have been proved beyond all
reasonable doubt,quot; presiding judge Cesar San Martin said.

2. Hugo Relva, a legal adviser for Amnesty International who monitored the entire trial in
Lima, says that several court cases involving human rights claims are pending, both
among members of paramilitary forces in Peru and against other officials in countries
across the region.
Amnesty laws in some countries, as well as a lack of political will and intimidation, have
held some of those cases back, he says. quot;But this ruling is an historic step in the fight
against impunity, not just in Peru but in Latin America,quot; says Mr. Relva. quot;It sends a clear
message that impunity will not be tolerated in the future.quot;
The case is also important for the justice system in Peru, says Gonzales. Corruption
undermined the system during Fujimori's term, but quot;This trial was impeccable and can
begin to bring credibility and legitimacy back to the system,quot; he notes.
Backlash from Fujimori supporters
Fujimori made no comment on the verdict Tuesday. But last week he told a packed court
that, quot;No one has been able to present a single piece of evidence against me, due to the
simple fact that they don't exist. As I said at the beginning, I'm innocent.quot;
Many observers expect protests against the verdict in the coming months. Already there
have been clashes between relatives of victims and Fujimori supporters, who represent a
broad swath of the population.
Fujimori's daughter Keiko, a lawmaker, is a front-runner in the presidential races in 2011,
according to opinion polls.(c) Copyright 2009. The Christian Science Monitor
Credit: Sara Miller Llana Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Indexing (document details)
Subjects: Convictions, Violations, Criminal justice, Human rights
Locations: Latin America, Peru
People: Fujimori, Alberto
Author(s): Sara Miller Llana
Document News
types:
Dateline: Mexico City
Section: WORLD
Publication The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Mass.: Apr 7, 2009. pg. 6
title:
Edition: ALL
Source type: Newspaper

3. ISSN: 08827729
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