The Judiciary's Second Temporary Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the lawsuit filed by former President Pedro Castillo against the Congress of the Republic regarding the granting of his lifetime pension.
According to various media outlets, the ruling stated that Letter No. 543-2024-DRH-DGA/CR, dated March 22, 2024 (which denied the lifetime pension), and Resolution No. 133-2024-DGA-CR of May 14, 2024 (which rejected the appeal) are declared null and void.
"Consequently, the respondent (Congress) is ordered to issue a new ruling, granting former President Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones the corresponding lifetime pension, in accordance with what is stated in this ruling," the document said.
As is publicly known, the former Head of State requested that Parliament grant him a lifetime pension, following the issuance of a resolution that awarded the same benefit to former President Alberto Fujimori.
"Indeed, former President Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones was denied the lifetime pension under Article 2 of Law No. 26519. However, former President Alberto Fujimori Fujimori was granted the pension, noting that the same Article 2 of Law No. 26519 would violate the right to the presumption of innocence," the document stated.
Judge Alexis Anicama specified in the ruling, "it must be concluded that in this case the plaintiff's right to equality has been violated, given the existence of another case under similar conditions in which the right to a lifetime pension was granted as a former president."
"In this context, the lawsuit must be upheld due to the violation of the right to equality recognized in Article 2, paragraph 2, of the Political Constitution of Peru; likewise, legal costs are to be granted in accordance with Article 28 of the New Constitutional Procedural Code," the ruling stated.
As is known, the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office) requested a 34-year prison sentence for the former top official and the payment of S/65,419,038.53 (US$18,685,815) in civil reparations in favor of the Peruvian State.
He is accused of the alleged crime of rebellion, for attempting to break the constitutional order on December 7, 2022.
On that day, Castillo delivered an address ordering the dissolution of Congress and the reorganization of the Judiciary, the Public Ministry, and other institutions.