Fujimori on Trial :: Fujimori procesado

Carlos Rivera, lawyer for the victims’ families.

May 9, 2008

Fifty-eighth session. Former military general Rodolfo Robles Espinoza continued with his testimony, saying that Fujimori’s aim was to govern Peru for 20 years. Additionally during the trial, Fujimori was photographed while he was supposedly planning his campaign for 2011.

1. Incidents during the hearing

Sleeping problems continue. Several times during the trial Fujimori had his eyes closed and appeared asleep. The session of the hearing lasts six hours daily, four hours in the morning with a 20 minute recess and two hours in the afternoon.

Preparing the political campaign while being tried for crimes against humanity? Last session, Fujimori was photographed by local newspaper Perú21 while revising notes he made concerning a supposed presidential campaign in the next elections in 2011. The notes said:

Plan 2011

Year 2008                                                By month.

Meetings

2 meetings                                                12,0000

4 marches                                                8,000

Materials

100,000 calendars

10,000 hats

10,000 shirts

Trips to provinces

Activities in the “Colón” building

Talks 3 times a week

Two conference speakers per month, 300

Radio

Radio Miraflores US$500

25 national radio stations

US$150/m. US$3,750=4,250

Internet and pamphlets

1 person in charge of internet US$250

+ 3 journalists (Ch. Encisco, J. Morelli, C. Loz)

(Picture: Paul Vallejos, Perú21) 

The journalists mentioned included Jorge Morelli of news channel CCN, which is involved in one of the cases for which Fujimori was extradited.

Regarding this supposed economic presidential campaign, the Attorney General has requested the Special Criminal Court to “analyze the conduct” because “a person who is tried and condemned cannot be a candidate, the electoral laws establish impediments and bans.”  According to the sentence for the crime of illegal entry, Fujimori will be in prison until Sept. 21, 2013.

2. Rodolfo Robles Espinoza’s testimony. Among the most important aspects of the witness’ testimony:

Fujimori planned to rule for 20 years. According to the former military general, Fujimori covered the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta murders since these crimes against humanity were necessary steps to consolidating his project to govern Peru for 20 years. “He did everything possible to cover the criminals by hindering the ties between the intellectual authors Vladimiro Montesinos and Hermoza Ríos, including [Hermoza’s] direct advisor Rivero Lazo, with the murders.”

According to the witness, this government project included the indispensable support of the Armed Forces to remove the military officials who didn’t agree. Consequently, Montesinos’ classmates were appointed to high positions in the army.

Conversations with the President of the Military Court caused his withdrawal from the Army.

Robles claimed to have denounced the Colina group on April 17, 1993 to the President of the Military Court, Gen. José Picón Alcalde (who was his classmate and godfather of one of his children). Days after these conversations, then commander general, Nicolás Hermoza Ríos, announced his selection for the Inter-American Board of Defense with the United States. After this selection, Robles publicly denounced the Colina detachment. Picón — who told the press days after the denouncements that if he were in Robles’ situation he would commit suicide — died in 1994 in a helicopter accident with the Peruvian Army.

3. Next session. Rodolfo Robles Espinoza’s testimony will continue in the next session, which will take place on Wed., May 14 due to the swearing-in ceremony of the new Attorney General on Mon., May 12.

4. In the May 8^th session, in the trial of the Colina detachment for the Barrios Altos, El Santa and Pedro Yauri cases:

Jesús Sosa Saavedra’s declarations.

Jesús Antonio Sosa Saavedra, who is being tried by the First Special Criminal Court for the case of Barrios Altos, El Santa and Pedro Yauri, has testified the following in his voluntary confession:

• The creation of the Colina detachment occurred between Aug. and Sept. 1991, by order of the Second Intelligence Division of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces. According to Sosa, the detachment depended directly on Gen. Nicolás Hermoza Ríos (who is represented by the same lawyer as Fujimori, César Nakazaki).
• He admitted his participation as a Colina member in “special intelligence operations,” including Barrios Altos and other murders.

Regarding the challenge to the First Special Criminal Court.

The challenge presented by the lawyers of the Colina detachment (also representing Fujimori) who considered that the Court had given an advanced opinion in the Cantuta sentence, was rejected by the majority of the First Special Criminal Court.

The vote in favor of the challenge was made by Judge Hilda Piedra, who voted in favor of the Supreme Court resolving the challenge. Due to the lawyers’ appeal, the Supreme Court will decide on the challenge.