Peru Congress approves amnesty for military accused of decades-old rights abuses

Peru's President Dina Boluarte addresses the opening session of the third United Nations Ocean Conference.[AFP] Peru's Congress has approved a law granting amnesty to military, police and other forces prosecuted for rights violations committed during the nation's bloody, decades-old campaign against leftist guerrillas. The law, which still needs approval from the president, benefits uniformed personnel who were accused, are still being investigated or are being tried for crimes stemming from their participation in the state's fight against left-wing insurgents from 1980 to 2000. On Wednesday, a congressional commission approved the bill granting amnesty to members of the armed forces, national police and local self-defense committees, said lawmaker Alejandro Cavero, third vice president of Congress. The bill was presented by Congressman Fernando Rospigliosi, from the right-wing Popular Force party of Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the late former leader Alberto Fujimori. Fujimori's decade as president from 1990 was marked by the ruthless, authoritarian way he governed. He was jailed for atrocities including the massacre of civilians by the army -- but released from prison in 2023 on humanitarian grounds. The new law specifies that a humanitarian amnesty will be granted to people over 70 years old who have been sentenced or served a prison sentence. "Military prisoners over 70 will be released. Open cases will be closed," Rospigliosi told AFP. But critics warned the legislation would hinder the search for truth about the period of violent conflict, which pitted state forces against Shining Path and Tupac Amaru rebels, and left around 70,000 people dead. "Granting amnesty to military and police officers cannot be a reason for impunity," Congressman Alex Flores of the Socialist party said during debate on the bill. After Congress passed it, the National Human Rights Coordinator said on social media platform X that "impunity does not hide the crime, it magnifies it." Amnesty International earlier urged the legislature to side with victims and reject the bill. "The right to justice of thousands of victims of extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence would be violated," the rights group said on X. In August 2024, Peru adopted a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity committed before 2002, effectively shutting down hundreds of investigations into alleged crimes committed during the fighting from 1980 to 2000. The initiative benefited the late Fujimori and 600 prosecuted military personnel. According to Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, there are more than 4,000 clandestine graves in Peru as a result of the two decades of political violence.

Peru Congress approves amnesty for military accused of decades-old rights abuses

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Peru Congress approves amnesty for military accused of decades-old rights abuses

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