Peru Court Orders 'Immediate' Release Of Imprisoned Ex-President Fujimori

Peru's constitutional court has ordered the "immediate release" of 85-year-old former President Alberto Fujimori, who has been serving a 25-year-old sentence over the death of 25 Peruvians and corruption during his administration in the 1990s.

The court had previously also ruled on the release of the former leader on humanitarian grounds in 2017. However, later the ruling was annulled. Even last year, the constitutional court issued a ruling in the former president's favor, but later suspended it due to Inter-American Court of Human Rights pressure.

As per the new ruling Tuesday, the court has ordered the state prison agency to release Fujimori "on the same day," AP News reported.

Elio Riera, who served as Furimori's lawyer, said the release might take place Wednesday.

"The former president is very calm," Riera told the media, standing outside the prison, which held Fujimori, Reuters reported. "He is very hopeful that this will be executed quickly."

Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 for human rights abuse charges. He was accused of killing 25 Peruvians by using military power during his administration from 1990 to 2000. The killings took place when the Shining Path communist rebels were fighting with the government.

Fujimori isn't the only former president in held in Barbadillo jail. The special prison for former presidents is already full, as many former leaders have bent the law at some point in their presidential life.

Barbadillo jail is located on the police academy's ground, on the outskirts of Lima, the capital of Peru.

This special jail was made for VIPs, as Peru's standard prisons were overcrowded and often witnessed violence. Hence, a part of the police compound has been turned into three custom-built cells that are like VIP prisons, looking like small apartment units, as per NPR.

Aside from Fujimori, the prison also has former President Alejandro Toledo, who was extradited from the United States in April over corruption charges. He served as the president from 2001 to 2005. Toledo was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for taking bribes from a Brazil-based construction company valued at $25 million.

Besides Peru, countries like South Korea, France and Brazil have also jailed former presidents. However, Peru has the most number of former presidents in jail compared to other countries across the world.