Peru: Calls For No Special Treatment For Fujimori

[Derechos]

Arbitrarily releasing former President Alberto Fujimori from serving his full prison sentence for human rights crimes would be incompatible with Peru’s obligations under international law, Human Rights Watch said today. Fujimori recently received medical treatment, and there have been some calls for a “humanitarian pardon.”

Although early release of a seriously ill prisoner on humanitarian grounds is a legitimate practice, it should only be granted on the basis of an independent, thorough, and conclusive medical determination establishing the gravity of the prisoner’s health and the seriousness of the risk continued detention might pose to his deteriorating condition. The former president should not be granted special treatment not afforded to other convicted criminals, nor should an early release be seen to have the effect of absolving him of criminal responsibility for his human rights crimes, Human Rights Watch said.

“Any efforts to give Fujimori special treatment and disregard the seriousness of the terrible crimes of which the Peruvian courts found him guilty would be a major setback for the rule of law,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “An early custodial release should be considered only if it is based on a thoroughly credible and conclusive medical evaluation, and consistent with the standards and procedures applicable to any other convicted criminal in Peru.”

In recent weeks, several prominent politicians have advocated a “humanitarian pardon” for Fujimori due to his deteriorating health. The former president was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for human rights violations, including the extrajudicial execution of 15 people in the Barrios Altos district of Lima, the enforced disappearance and murder of nine students and a teacher from La Cantuta University, and two abductions.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/peru-calls-for-no-special-treatment-for-fujimori-17062011/

[Peace Patriot]

1. They are rather underplaying Fujimora's crimes. Thousands were murdered under his reign of terror

and thousands of Indigenous women and men were sterilized. Mass murder and genocidal sterilization don't happen in a dictatorship without the complicity of the dictator.

It's okay to state the crimes that prosecutors were able to nail him for--but it should be understood, as well, that a heinous dictator like Fujimora also had the power to cover up his complicity in even worse slaughters and outrages, and that he was responsible for, and leader of, all of this horror in Peru.

I find it very disturbing--and very hard to understand--how nearly half of Peru's voters could have voted for Fujimora's daughter, who was closely associated with his regime (as "first lady") and surrounded herself with his advisors in her recent campaign for president. I wish someone could illuminate this matter for me. Are there that many fascists and racists and sympathizers with murder and genocide among Peru's voting public? I find that hard to believe. Does the corpo-fascist media have more sway with Peru's voters than they do with voters in other Latin American countries (where leftists have overcome the corpo-fascist media propaganda to win 60% to 70% of the votes)? And if so, was the corpo-fascist press therefore successful in "laundering" her image? Are there cultural or economic or political divides in Peru that I don't understand?

For instance, I can't imagine Keiko Fujimora even running for office in most Latin American countries. What her father did, and what she approved of, as "first lady," was just too awful. I could see a "stalking horse" for brutal fascism possibly fooling some voters in some countries, but not a Fujimora.

I've thought that maybe some 10% to 15% of the poorest voters--especially Indigenous and campesinos living in remote areas--didn't vote (and authorities ignored them--voting being compulsory in Peru), because the leftist, Ollanta Humala, "moved to the center." They gave him a big boost in the prior presidential election, but maybe they sat on their hands in this election? There would have gone his advantage (his 60%+ majority--the typical majority for leftist presidents in the region). This election was, instead, very close. Why?

[naaman fletcher]

2. fujimori

"I find it very disturbing--and very hard to understand--how nearly half of Peru's voters could have voted for Fujimora's daughter, who was closely associated with his regime (as "first lady") and surrounded herself with his advisors in her recent campaign for president. I wish someone could illuminate this matter for me. Are there that many fascists and racists and sympathizers with murder and genocide among Peru's voting public?"

You see it all over the world when there are civl wars/rebellions. Your average Serb is not evil, yet supported evil leaders because they appeared strong against their enemies. Same goes for Croatia, same happens all the time in Africa, etc. Most of the crimes against humanity were targeted against certain groups. The others might not support that, but with the war going on against the shining path they wanted security for themselves first, and Fujimori did in fact basically give them that.