Peru’s government on August 9 enacted a law that prevents the prosecution of crimes against humanity committed before 2002, a decision that favors former President Alberto Fujimori as well as hundreds of military personnel investigated or prosecuted for massacres and murders during the country’s internal armed conflict (1980-2000).
The United Nations on August 9 denounced the enacting of the bill.
Peru’s new law “contravenes the country’s obligations under international law and is a troubling development, amid a broader backlash against human rights and the rule of law in Peru,” said Volker Türk, UN human rights chief, in a statement.
According to an estimate by the Peruvian prosecutor’s office released in June, the legislation will have a direct impact on 550 victims and 600 cases, including investigations and judicial processes that would be archived or dismissed by statute of limitations.
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