In a move that has sparked significant controversy, President Dina Boluarte of Peru has signed a law granting amnesty to members of the military, police, and civilian militias facing charges for atrocities committed during the protracted armed conflict against Maoist insurgents. This legislation was passed by Congress in July, despite an ongoing order from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights demanding its suspension for further review concerning its effects on victims.
The newly enacted law will benefit hundreds who are accused of committing offenses between 1980 and 2000. Additionally, it stipulates the release of individuals over the age of 70 currently serving sentences for such crimes. The violent conflict saw the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru groups engage in brutal insurgency, resulting in an estimated 70,000 deaths and over 20,000 disappearances, as per the findings of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
President Boluarte, who made history as the first female leader elected in Peru in 2022, defended the measure as a tribute to the forces that combat terrorism and safeguard democracy. However, this justification has drawn fierce criticism from human rights organizations. Juanita Goebertus, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, denounced the law as "a betrayal of Peruvian victims" and an erosion of hard-won accountability for heinous acts.
The United Nations and Amnesty International have implored Boluarte to veto the legislation, flagging its potential to contravene Peru's obligation to prosecute serious violations such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. UN specialists warned that the amnesty could lead to the cancellation or reversal of over 600 ongoing trials and 156 convictions associated with human rights abuses.
The TRC notably highlighted that state agents, particularly military forces, were responsible for 83% of documented cases of sexual violence during the conflict. This amnesty follows a troubling trend; in the previous year, Peru enacted a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity committed before 2002, effectively halting numerous investigations into alleged atrocities, including those linked to former president Alberto Fujimori, who was implicated in numerous human rights violations before being released on humanitarian grounds in 2023.
The newly enacted law will benefit hundreds who are accused of committing offenses between 1980 and 2000. Additionally, it stipulates the release of individuals over the age of 70 currently serving sentences for such crimes. The violent conflict saw the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru groups engage in brutal insurgency, resulting in an estimated 70,000 deaths and over 20,000 disappearances, as per the findings of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
President Boluarte, who made history as the first female leader elected in Peru in 2022, defended the measure as a tribute to the forces that combat terrorism and safeguard democracy. However, this justification has drawn fierce criticism from human rights organizations. Juanita Goebertus, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, denounced the law as "a betrayal of Peruvian victims" and an erosion of hard-won accountability for heinous acts.
The United Nations and Amnesty International have implored Boluarte to veto the legislation, flagging its potential to contravene Peru's obligation to prosecute serious violations such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. UN specialists warned that the amnesty could lead to the cancellation or reversal of over 600 ongoing trials and 156 convictions associated with human rights abuses.
The TRC notably highlighted that state agents, particularly military forces, were responsible for 83% of documented cases of sexual violence during the conflict. This amnesty follows a troubling trend; in the previous year, Peru enacted a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity committed before 2002, effectively halting numerous investigations into alleged atrocities, including those linked to former president Alberto Fujimori, who was implicated in numerous human rights violations before being released on humanitarian grounds in 2023.
