The Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court conducts the reading of the advance ruling against former President Pedro Castillo for the attempted coup d'état on December 7, 2022.
After declaring the hearing open, Judge Norma Lopez Carbajal indicated that the decision adopted by the majority and an advance ruling will be announced today.
The session began at 9:23 a.m. (local time) at Barbadillo Prison, where the former Head of State remains in custody.
The reading of the preliminary ruling began after the accreditation of other defendants, including former Interior Minister Willy Huerta and former Prime Minister Anibal Torres.
The presence of the defense attorneys for the accused, among them former Prime Minister Betssy Chavez, was also confirmed.
During his appearance for accreditation, Pedro Castillo attempted to justify the decisions he made in December 2022 and his rejection of the judicial proceedings against him. However, he was interrupted by Judge Carbajal, who confirmed his presence.
The Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court handling this case is chaired by Supreme Judge Jose Neyra Flores. It also includes magistrates Ivan Guerrero Lopez and Norma Carbajal.
In this criminal case, the former top official faces a 34-year prison request for the alleged crimes of rebellion, abuse of authority, and serious disruption of public order.