Fujimori on Trial :: Fujimori procesado

Today trials began for human rights charges against Alberto Fujimori, including the murders of Barrios Altos (1991) and La Cantuta (1992) and the kidnapping of journalist Gustavo Gorriti and businessman Samuel Dyer. The prosecutor has accused Fujimori of being the command responsibility for these crimes, carried out by the paramilitary group “Colina.”

Due to the limited space of the courtroom, only 48 people were permitted in the main courtroom to watch the public trial. International observers and family of the victims of Barrios Altos and La Cantuta cases were the last to enter, while Congressmen were permitted to enter much earlier.

Fujimori entered the courtroom at 10 am, breathing heavily and constantly fidgeting. At the beginning of the hearing, the judges reiterated that this trial is a criminal one and not a political one, and stated: “The charges made are based on criminal code, the Court will reject any action considered contrary to the law…the Court reaffirms the respect given to the principles and guarantees of due process.”

The defense requested permission to have a laptop computer available for Fujimori, which was rejected by the prosecutor. The Court will decide on this request in the coming days.

The Court President, César San Martín, accepted the request of civil society for the current Premier, Jorge del Castillo, to testify, since he had been kidnapped in current president Alan García’s home, moments after Fujimori’s “self-coup” on Apr. 5, 1992.  This will help to demonstrate the irregular orders given by Fujimori to detain his political opponents, such as Gorriti. San Martín also accepted former head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Salomón Lerner, and union leader, César Barrera as witnesses.

On being asked how he pleaded, Fujimori forcefully rejected the prosecutor’s accusations, breaking the studious silence he had maintained all morning. The Court President interrupted him with difficulty, explaining to Fujimori that he will have other opportunities to speak, and requested that he limit himself to accepting or rejecting the charges. Fujimori yelled that he rejected them, upon which his supporters broke into applause, including his two daughters – Keiko and Sachi Fujimori – as well as Congressmen Renzo Reggiardo, Carlos Raffo, Martha Hildebrandt and Martha Moyano, among others. César San Martín warned that any form of celebration is unacceptable and said it must not happen again.

At 3:00 pm when the trial was scheduled to continue (and Fujimori would be questioned), the defense presented a doctor’s note to the Court, declaring that the defendant suffered from hypertension and would not be able to resume for the rest of the day. The trial was rescheduled for Wednesday, December 12 at 9:30 am.

Brief Analysis:

The principal objective of the Prosecutor will be to demonstrate that Fujimori planned and ordered humans rights violations, namely the massacres of Barrios Altos and La Cantuta, which would prove he is the command responsibility for the crimes. The defense, on the other hand, will try to prove that though Fujimori might have known about the murders, he did not orchestrate them.

It seems that the defense’s strategy is to make the criminal trial look like an act of political persecution against Fujimori (who claims to have saved the country from “terrorism”), as seen in his repeated yelling and pleading as he rejected the charges. The key phrases from the speech – “I’m innocent!” (Soy inocente!) and “I reject the charges” (Rechazo los cargos!) – have already been made into a ringtone:

http://www.4firewall.net/soy-inocente-de-fujimori-en-ringtone.php