Peru high court sentences former Fujimori ministers for aiding 1992 power grab News
Peru high court sentences former Fujimori ministers for aiding 1992 power grab

[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Peru [official website, in Spanish] Monday sentenced 10 former cabinet officials from the government of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] for their involvement in the government's seizure of power from Congress and the judiciary in 1992. The court sentenced former Interior Minister Juan Briones Davila to 10 years in prison, while handing out suspended sentences to nine other former officials. Fujimori suspended the Supreme Court and dissolved Congress in 1992, saying it was necessary to counter the terrorist threat posed by the Shining Path [MIPT backgrounder].

Fujimori was transferred [JURIST report] to Peru for trial after the Supreme Court of Chile allowed the extradition [ruling, PDF; JURIST report] in September. Fujimori is currently awaiting trial on human rights charges for the 1992 murder of 25 people, and faces up to 30 years in prison and a $33 million fine. Fujimori's trial is scheduled to begin on December 10 [JURIST report]. He also faces abuse of power and corruption charges in separate proceedings. Reuters has more. BBC News has additional coverage.