Peru court sentences Fujimori to 25 years prison

A special tribunal has sentenced former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori to 25 years in prison for what it called “crimes against humanity” – death squad activities during his autocratic 10-year rule.

The 70-year-old former leader was convicted of 25 murders committed by a military hit squad in the early 1990s and the kidnappings of a businessman and a journalist.

The three-judge court said Tuesday there was no question Fujimori authorized the hit squad’s creation and a cover-up of its 50 murders as he crushed the fanatical Shining Path insurgency.
Fujimori said he would appeal.

His congresswoman daughter, Keiko, says the verdict will only strengthen her campaign for president. She is among front-runners in the 2011 race.