Former President Pedro Castillo is going through one of his worst moments in the midst of the political crisis after the failed coup attempt. Not only is he facing 18 months in custody for these events, but he is also increasingly running out of defense.
Lawyers Raúl Noblecilla and Ronald Atencio have announced that they will not continue to defend the former president, who is being investigated for the crimes of rebellion, conspiracy, abuse of authority and disturbing the peace.
In a joint statement, published on social networks, they made this news known.
“After speaking with our sponsor Pedro Castillo Terrones, it was jointly decided that we will not continue to defend him, reserving the reasons”, reads the document, which bears the signature of both characters.
Noblecilla was a counselor in the office of deputy Guillermo Bermejo and one of his lawyers in the process that is following the legislator for the alleged crime of terrorist association. In early December, he was appointed by the government of Pedro Castillo, before being vacated, to the position of Deputy Minister of the Territorial Government, attached to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM).
Atencio was also one of Bermejo’s lawyers and is part of the leftist political movement Voces del Pueblo, promoted by the aforementioned deputy.
With the resignation of the two lawyers, the former president has so far lost five defenders in less than 15 days.
After being arrested for the failed coup, former Prime Minister Aníbal Torres defended him into hiding. Subsequently, Miguel Pérez Arroyo, former lawyer of Alberto Fujimori, represented him; however, after a few days he resigned.
Castillo was also represented by attorneys Ítalo Díaz, public defender, and Wilfredo Robles, who assists Torres in the aforementioned trial. However, his defenses were limited only to the pre-trial detention hearing against the former president.
