Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo announced on Monday the beginning of a hunger strike to denounce the injustice to which he is subjected with the trial that is taking place against him, a process that is already damning in itself.
The former president faces an historic trial on charges of rebellion and abuse of authority, with 34 years in prison at stake, despite the fact that he was elected as constitutional president of Peru in 2021.
In a letter that he signs as “President in captivity,” Castillo denounces that there is a process of injustice surrounding his imprisonment and assures that he is accused of crimes that he did not commit.
With this letter, the former president not only protests his imminent conviction, but also announces a hunger strike as an act of resistance to what he considers an attack on his dignity.
According to Castillo, the court that is judging him is biased, with a judge who would have already given her opinion, forcing an accusation of rebellion without solid foundations.
Through his lawyer Walter Ayala, Castillo demanded the reconfiguration of the court that is prosecuting him, for what he points out as a lack of impartiality in the courtroom. Although the trial for rebellion is based on his failed attempt at a self-coup, Ayala argues that there was no armed uprising or military support.
With an eye on international organizations such as the United Nations Organization (UN), Castillo and his defense seek to have his fundamental rights protected, while denouncing a judicial process full of irregularities.
The trial against Pedro Castillo began with his forceful declaration: “I am in jail unjustly,” and he defended his only “crime” as that of “defending the people,” and accused the Public Ministry of manipulating the charges.
Meanwhile, the court denied him permission to leave the hearing and assigned him a public defender, in a process that, according to Castillo, has been flawed from the beginning.
The oral trial against the former head of state began on Monday, March 4th, amid irregularities in the charges against him and disinformation campaigns against him.
