Argentine prosecutors insist on sending former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to a common prison, challenging her house arrest granted due to age and security concerns.

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Argentine Prosecutors Oppose House Arrest for Former President Cristina Fernandez

Buenos Aires, June 30, 2025 — Argentine prosecutors Diego Luciani and Sergio Mola have appealed the decision granting former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner house arrest, demanding she be sent to a regular prison facility. Kirchner, aged 72, has been under house arrest since June 17, following a Supreme Court ruling upholding her six-year corruption sentence and lifetime ban from public office.

The prosecutors argued that there are no humanitarian grounds to justify house arrest, emphasizing that Kirchner’s age alone does not warrant special treatment. They also raised concerns about security risks and neighborhood disturbances caused by large pro-Kirchner demonstrations outside her Buenos Aires apartment during the initial days of her confinement.

Luciani and Mola requested that if the court maintains house arrest, it should at least relocate Kirchner to a more secure residence, citing photographs of mass protests that, in their view, compromise public order and the safety of the former president herself.

Kirchner’s legal team defended the house arrest, noting that Argentine law permits such measures for individuals over 70 years old. They also highlighted Kirchner’s status as a former head of state, which entitles her to permanent police protection,protection that would be impossible to guarantee in a prison environment.

The defense further recalled the assassination attempt Kirchner survived in September 2022, underscoring the ongoing threats to her life and the need for heightened security.

Por momentos parece que el Partido Judicial quiere instalar una Dictadura de los Jueces. Ahora se les ocurrió imponer restricciones a Cristina Kirchner con el objeto de aislarla. No hay ningún detenido con domiciliaria, y menos aún con pulsera electrónica, al que haya que visitar…

— Leopoldo Moreau (@MoreauLeopoldo) June 21, 2025

Part of the text reads: At times, it seems that the Judicial Party wants to establish a Dictatorship of the Judges. Now they have come up with the idea of imposing restrictions on Cristina Kirchner in order to isolate her. There is no detainee under house arrest,and even less so with an electronic bracelet,who must be visited at home with prior judicial authorization.

The judicial actions against Kirchner are part of a broader campaign of political persecution aimed at sidelining one of Latin America’s most influential progressive leaders. Since the Supreme Court’s confirmation of her conviction, Kirchner’s supporters have mobilized massive protests, framing the sentence as an attack on the Peronist movement and a tactic to suppress dissent against neoliberal and libertarian forces in Argentina.

Kirchner herself has denounced the judiciary as a “triumvirate of unpresentables” acting under political orders, while her party and allied social movements vow to continue the fight for her political rehabilitation and the defense of social justice.

Judge Jorge Gorini authorized Kirchner’s house arrest with electronic monitoring, requiring her to remain at her Buenos Aires apartment except for court-approved exceptions. This arrangement allows her to maintain a visible presence, rallying support from her balcony and through public statements, even as her formal political career is curtailed by the sentence.

The ongoing legal battle and mass mobilizations highlight the deep polarization in Argentina, where Kirchner remains a potent symbol of resistance against austerity and right-wing governance.

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