## Alberto Fujimori, Former Peruvian President, Passes Away at 86 After 16 Years in Prison
Alberto Kenya Fujimori Fujimori, who served as President of Peru from July 28, 1990, to November 21, 2000, passed away on September 11, 2024, at the age of 86. His death followed reports that he was in a delicate state of health after undergoing radiotherapy sessions for cancer treatment.
“After a long battle with cancer, our father, Alberto Fujimori, has passed away to meet the Lord,” his daughter, Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi, confirmed. Fujimori died at his daughter’s home in the San Borja district.
The Peruvian Constitutional Court granted a habeas corpus petition in favor of Fujimori on March 17, 2022. The petition, filed by his lawyer Gregorio Parco Alarcón, paved the way for his release from the Barbadillo prison in Lima’s Ate district. However, his release did not occur until December 2023, after spending 16 years in prison.
The court’s decision reinstated the humanitarian pardon granted to Fujimori in 2017 by then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. This pardon had previously been annulled by Peru’s judiciary. The vote was tied 3-3, and Augusto Ferrero Costa, the presiding judge of the Constitutional Court, cast the deciding vote in favor of the habeas corpus.
Fujimori had served time since 2007 and was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for his alleged role in various massacres and kidnappings in 1991 and 1992 executed by the covert Colina military group. On December 25, 2017, he was granted a humanitarian pardon by President Kuczynski due to health concerns. However, this pardon did not absolve him of criminal responsibility.
The judicial decision came after the families of the massacre victims appealed to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) to revoke the pardon. The IACHR recommended these families seek justice through Peruvian courts, leading to the eventual annulment of the pardon.
After receiving the 2017 pardon, Fujimori lived for nearly a year in a residential neighborhood in Lima. He was sent back to the Barbadillo prison in October 2018. His subsequent release in December 2023 shortened a sentence initially set to end on February 10, 2032.
José Pedro Castillo Terrones, then-president of Peru, remarked on social media that international justice bodies such as the IACHR would protect the rights of victims’ families, who could appeal to these institutions.
In 1990, Fujimori defeated the Liberty Movement party candidate, writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who later won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010. Keiko Fujimori, his daughter, ran for presidency in 2021 against Pedro Castillo Terrones, losing narrowly by 44,058 votes.
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## Secondary Article: International Reactions to Fujimori’s Death
Global leaders and organizations have expressed their condolences and reflections following the passing of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.
### United Nations Statement
The United Nations issued a brief statement recognizing Fujimori’s controversial legacy. The statement highlighted the complex nature of his presidency, marked by economic reforms as well as severe human rights violations for which he was imprisoned.
### Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) emphasized the importance of remembering the victims of the atrocities committed during Fujimori’s regime. HRW called for continued attention to human rights abuses globally.
### Japanese Government’s Reaction
Given his Japanese heritage, the Japanese government offered condolences to the Fujimori family and acknowledged his efforts to strengthen Peruvian-Japanese relations during his presidency.
### Regional Political Figures
Numerous Latin American political figures have shared their thoughts. Some, like former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, called for balancing the recognition of Fujimori’s contributions with an acknowledgment of the severe human rights violations that occurred under his rule.
### Public Opinion
Public reaction in Peru remains divided. Supporters remember Fujimori for combating hyperinflation and defeating the Shining Path guerillas, while critics hold firm on the need for justice and accountability for the crimes during his presidency.
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