Peru: Ex President Castillo Demands to Be Released Immediately

A few days before completing a year in prison, former Peruvian president Pedro Castillo (2021-2022) demanded his freedom and reinstatement as the head of state during a hearing at the Constitutional Court (TC).

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"My constitutional rights, such as the right to freedom and due process, have been violated by the Attorney General. Currently, it is public knowledge that she is a leader of an alleged criminal organization planned with high-ranking police officials and certain groups of congressmen to overthrow my government," Castillo said virtually from Barbadillo prison.

"I request that this entire procedure and subsequent actions be nullified. It is clear that there has been an orchestrated effort to overthrow my administration, but constitutional freedom cannot be compromised beyond political interests," he added.

Castillo argued that there was no flagrancy in his actions on Dec. 7, 2022, when he was accused of attempting a self-coup and removed by a Congress controlled by conservatives. He was arrested while heading to the Mexican Embassy in Lima.

His lawyer, Eduardo Pachas, requested the nullification of the 18-month pre-trial detention for the so-called "self-coup," immediate release of Castillo, and the "restoration of the previous state" before his arrest, allowing him to resume the presidency for the 2021-2026 term.

Pachas explained that the motivation behind five habeas corpus petitions addressed the violation of Castillo's freedom. The legal process displayed a "lack of narrative coherence" and insufficient justifications for the flagrancy offense, as the specific type was not detailed.

In addition to the 18-month pre-trial detention order under the coup accusation, the Peruvian Supreme Court has upheld the decision to impose an additional 36 months of pre-trial detention on Castillo for a corruption and influence trafficking case.