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Peru's ex-President to be tried for 1992 farmer killings

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 20 Feb 2018, 05:26 am Print

Peru's ex-President to be tried for 1992 farmer killings

Lima: Peru's former President Alberto Fujimori will be tried for the killings of six farmers in 1992, reports said.

Earlier, triggering a massive protest in the national capital on Christmas Day in 2017, Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced his decision to pardon former President Alberto Fujimori of his crime.

However, the court said that the pardon does not apply to the new case.

Reacting to the order, Fujimori said he'll move court against the ruling.

The court is expected to try 22 others for squad killings.

Fujimori headed the South American nation for a decade from 1990 to 2000, during which his government violently tackled two insurgencies.

The senior politician suffers from low blood pressure and irregular heartbeat and was earlier pardoned on 'humanitarian grounds'.

However, the protesters had none of it, who shouted, "no to the pardon".

Protesters even claimed that the former President has been pardoned after a deal was reached with the incumbent government, which has been refuted by the latter.

While announcing his decision, Kuczynski had said, "I am convinced that those of us who consider ourselves democrats cannot allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison. Justice is not vengeance. All pardons are by nature controversial. There is an important number of Peruvians who are opposed."

"My decision is especially complex and difficult, but it is my decision. I can not only be the president of those that voted for me, I need to be it for all Peruvians," he added.


Image: Screengrab from YouTube