Pardoning of former Peruvian President Fujimori a "slap in the face" for victims- Group

A group of UN independent human rights experts have condemned the pardoning of former President of Peru Alberto Fujimori and said that the move undermines the efforts of the judiciary to achieve justice.

According to the experts, the Presidential pardon granted to Mr. Fujimori on politically motivated grounds "is a slap in the face [to] the victims and witnesses whose tireless commitment brought him to justice".

Mr. Fujimori was serving a 25-year jail term for serious human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and kidnapping.

His pardon by current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was announced on December 24.

Mr. Fujimori's conviction after a judicial process had been hailed as a major achievement in the fight against impunity.

The human rights experts called on the Peruvian Government to not give in to political pressure and uphold its domestic and international obligations.

The Government should respect the victims and witnesses who fought for justice and adopt a comprehensive transitional justice strategy as a matter of priority, the experts added.

Since the pardon, protests have been reported in the capital Lima and elsewhere in in the country.

Vibhu Mishra, United Nations/GBCONLINE.
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