Former President Alberto Fujimori left Barbadillo Prison in Lima on Wednesday evening —after having been incarcerated for 16 years—
in compliance with a resolution by the Constitutional Court that recently restored a humanitarian pardon in his favor.
Fujimori left the penitentiary establishment at 6:26 p.m. (local time) once the administrative procedures for his release at the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) were completed.
The 85-year-old ex-inmate was wearing a light blue shirt, a blue vest, and a facemask.
As soon as he crossed the compound's gate, he hugged his grown-up children Keiko and Kenji Fujimori, as well as the Fuerza Popular (Popular Force political party) parliamentarians who accompanied his family members to await his release.
Joined by his son and daughter, he immediately boarded a vehicle, thus heading to the home of Popular Force leader, Keiko Fujimori.
The vehicle moved slowly around the outside of Barbadillo Prison, where his followers were also awaiting his release.
Sentenced to 25 years
In 2009, the former president was sentenced by the Special Criminal Chamber to 25 years in prison, after being considered the direct perpetrator of the death of those attending a pollada (chicken plate fundraiser event) in Lima's Barrios Altos zone (1991) and of La Cantuta University students (1992) —a crime perpetrated by intelligence agents from the Colina detachment.
The Supreme Court ratified the 25-year sentence in 2010.
Fujimori had been held at Barbadillo Prison, located inside the Peruvian National Police Special Operations Directorate (Dinoes) headquarters in Lima's Ate district, since his extradition from Chile in September 2007.
(END) FGH/MVB
Published: 12/6/2023