On October 28th, a verdict was issued in the Perseos case, which has been ongoing for 10 years in Peru. In this case, 41 revolutionary prisoners, associated with the Communist Party of Peru, were sentenced to long prison terms, including 35, 25, and 15 years. Given the prisoners’ ages, these sentences effectively mean life imprisonment, amounting to a de facto death sentence.
The case involves members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Peru, who are already serving two life sentences and have now been handed 35 additional years in prison.
The court has rejected the request to reconsider the life sentences and has also failed to take into account the conditions of prisoners suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Among those sentenced to long prison terms is Dr. Carlos Gamero Quispe, 84 years old, suffering from Alzheimer’s, depression, and advanced tuberculosis.
Instead of releasing those who have already served their sentences, such as Margot Liendo, Victoria Trujillo, and Osman Morote, the court has handed down an additional 35 years of imprisonment, effectively condemning them to death due to their age.
Additionally, lawyers who have defended Dr. Abimael Guzmán since 1992, and who have called for a peace agreement, a general amnesty, and a new constituent assembly to address the problems caused by the war, have also been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
This verdict demonstrates that the Peruvian state applies enemy criminal law against political opponents and revolutionaries.
The Perseos case is an example of the fascist Peruvian judiciary’s ruthless attack on those who engage in revolutionary struggle. MOVADEF (Movement for Amnesty and Fundamental Rights), a movement that operates in the democratic sphere, aims to participate in elections but has been obstructed, is being criminalized for its political activities advocating for democratic rights and freedoms. The prosecution of its activists shows the hostile policies and dictatorship employed by the Peruvian state against political opponents.
MOVADEF has been declared illegal and shut down because of its calls for a political solution, including a General Amnesty and National Reconciliation, and its demand for a new Constitution that would democratize Peruvian society. The criminalization of these demands and the prosecution of those expressing them shows that freedom of thought is being eradicated in Peru.
We protest the long prison sentences, which are tantamount to death sentences, handed down in the Perseos case, and demand that they be revoked.
Freedom for the prisoners in the Perseos case!
Freedom for all political prisoners!
Long live international solidarity!
