Peru approves law declaring crimes against humanity before 2002 as statute-barred

Lima. Peru approved a law on Friday declaring that crimes against humanity committed before 2002 in the fight against guerrillas have been barred by the statute of limitations, an initiative that will benefit former President Alberto Fujimori and 600 other military personnel who have been prosecuted.

Amid rejection by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the law was published in the official gazette after the government decided not to comply with it.

The text nullifies proceedings for alleged crimes committed during the internal conflict or “war on terror” according to the authorities at the time, which left more than 69,000 dead and 21,000 missing between 1980 and 2000.

According to the law, “no one shall be prosecuted, convicted or punished for crimes against humanity or war crimes for acts committed prior to July 1, 2002,” when the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court came into force in Peru.

“No event prior to that date can be classified as a crime against humanity or war crime,” states the law, which will come into force on August 10.

According to Peruvian authorities, the law serves to clarify the application and scope of crimes against humanity and war crimes in local legislation.