US EditionPeru’s new amnesty law for human rights abuses sparks anger and international appeal
PERU, JUL 10 – The law could close over 600 ongoing cases and wipe out 156 convictions against military and police accused of abuses during Peru's 1980-2000 internal conflict, rights groups say.
- In August 2024, Peru's Congress approved an amnesty law shielding military and police accused of human rights abuses from prosecution during the 1980-2000 conflict.
- The legislation follows previous 1995 amnesty laws and aims to close hundreds of ongoing investigations and wipe out 156 convictions, benefiting over 600 accused personnel.
- The conflict, lasting around a decade, resulted in approximately 70,000 deaths—predominantly among Indigenous communities who were trapped in the crossfire between government forces and rebel groups—and led to the discovery of over 4,000 hidden graves throughout Peru.
- Lawyer Gloria Cano stated that their efforts to challenge the law extend beyond national courts, as they have already initiated proceedings at the international level, while rights groups emphasize that the law infringes on justice rights.
- The law awaits President Dina Boluarte's decision to sign, return, or allow it to become law, amid warnings that it could magnify impunity and hinder truth about Peru's violent past.
33 Articles
33 Articles
The Peruvian Congress has crossed a red line. This week it approved an amnesty aimed at favoring those responsible for heinous crimes committed during the last decades: enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, torture. It is not just an ethically repugnant act. It is legally invalid, politically unsustainable and morally infamous. It represents the institutionalization of impunity as a state policy. Continue reading
Controversy Erupts Over Peru's Amnesty Law for Human Rights Abuses
Peru's Congress has passed a controversial amnesty law for military and civilians involved in human rights abuses during the armed conflict from 1980-2000. The law could nullify convictions, spurring human rights groups to seek international intervention. President Dina Boluarte's response is pending.
Families of victims of violations of individual guarantees protested yesterday after the Peruvian Congress passed a law that frees from criminal responsibility uniforms and civilians convicted or prosecuted for various abuses, including murders, disappearances and sexual violations during the armed conflict between 1980 and 2000. Human rights organizations estimate that this amnesty law would benefit some 900 military and police officers.
Associated Press News
Peru's new amnesty law for human rights abuses sparks anger and international appeal
Lawyers in Peru are challenging a new amnesty law passed by Congress. The law grants amnesty to military members and civilians accused of serious human rights abuses during the country’s 1980-2000 armed conflict.
The National Coordinator for Human Rights (CNDDHH) of Peru has expressed its rejection of the amnesty granted by the National Congress to the military and police arrested between 1980 and 2000, in relation to human rights abuses. READ ALSO: Peruvian police officers are investigated for repression during protests against Boluarte This measure was approved by parliamentarian Jorge Montoya, former Chief of the Armed Forces and member of the ultra-c…
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