Fujimori Convicted

Posted on April 7th, 2009 emily No comments  Print This Post

Former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, today was convicted of human rights abuses, including ordering two massacres and kidnappings. As this BBC article notes, this is the first time a democratically elected head of state from Latin America has been tried in his native country for human rights abuses.

The trial and conviction (which will almost certainly be appealed by Fujimori and his lawyers) have important implications. Both demonstrate the increase of capacity of the  Peruvian state, which has  struggled with democratic accountability and maintaining the rule of law. Moreover, as Human Rights Watch states, the conviction is part of a larger global trend of holding heads of state accountable for their actions. While Peru in the 1990s and the ongoing crisis in Sudan are not the exact same situations, this conviction obviously sends a message to heads of state such as Sudanese President Bashir. Finally, the conviction is a reminder that a head of state cannot hide behind the banner of fighting terrorism and get away with human rights abuses, regardless if it is the Shining Path in the 1990s or fighting Islamic extremism today.

Questions remain if the conviction will be upheld after an appeals process and if Fujimori’s own daughter, Keiko Fujimori, wins the presidency in 2011. She is currently a member of the Peruvian congress and has said she would pardon her father if elected, although she has yet to announce her candidacy.