Students Witness Fujimori Trial

Three Colorado Law students—Jessica Kaplan, Alex San Filippo-Rosser, and Sarah French—and three DU Law students travelled to Lima, Peru, during Christmas break to serve as international legal observers for three days of the trial of former president Alberto Fujimori. He was accused of authorizing the counter-insurgency actions of a death squad known as La Colina that killed 25 people in 1991 and 1992. Peru is the first country in history to try and convict a democratically elected leader for human rights violations; Fujimori was found guilty of mass murder and kidnapping and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The students also interviewed the three judges on the case, the families affected by the massacres, and the Attorney General of Peru.

"It was historic that Peru put its former president on trial for human rights violations even though his actions helped end terrorism in the country and he was still quite popular,” said French, a Peruvian-American. “I admire the Peruvian justice system for seeking justice and truth and evaluate whether the means used to achieve an end were justified."