Peru’s Supreme Court denies Pedro Castillo’s appeal and maintains prison

By Julia Mano

The Supreme Court of Peru denied this Tuesday (13 Dec 2022) the appeal of the defense of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo against his preventive detention.

The Court considered that the period of 7 days of detention is “adequate”. The National Police arrested the former head of state on Wednesday (7 Dec) after the Peruvian Congress approved his impeachment.

The Court also ruled that the arrest complied with the requirements for arrest in flagrante delicto. The former Peruvian president is being investigated for an alleged “crime against the Powers of the State and the Constitutional Order, in the form of rebellion […] and conspiracy”. The offenses are provided for in Articles 346 and 349 of the Constitution of Peru. Castillo declared at the hearing that he had not “committed the crime of rebellion or conspiracy”.

The former Peruvian president published part of his statements at the hearing on his Twitter profile. He said he was “unjustly and arbitrarily detained”. He declared that he was not “a thief, a rapist, nor corrupt, nor a bandit”.

He also thanked the population “for their trust, effort, fight and identification”. He said he “will never renounce or abandon the popular cause that drew him here”.

Castillo asked the Armed Forces and the National Police “to lay down their weapons and [stop] killing the [population] thirsty for justice.”

UNDERSTAND

Castillo dissolved Congress on Wednesday and declared a state of emergency across the country. He said he would call new elections. He also announced a curfew in the country.

The leftist’s dismissal was approved shortly afterwards by Congress. There were 101 votes in favor, 6 against and 10 abstentions. At least 87 favorable votes were needed for the House to define the departure of the then president.

Vice-president Dina Boluarte, 60, also took office on Wednesday. She is the 1st female president to preside over the country.

With information from Poder360