Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo (C) attends a public hearing at the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice in Lima, Peru, in November 2025. The court sentenced Castillo to 11 years, five months, 15 days in prison for conspiracy to commit rebellion. File Photo by Renato Pajuelo/EPA
July 10 (UPI) -- A United Nations panel has determined former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo's detention is "arbitrary," calling for his immediate release and compensation for violations of his fundamental rights under international treaties.
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said Peru failed to uphold key due process guarantees, questioned the legality of Castillo's arrest after his failed attempt to dissolve Congress on Dec. 7, 2022, and cited the lack of a judicial warrant and the failure to respect presidential immunity.
According to the group's opinion, Peruvian authorities violated Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as Articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The report said Castillo's arrest after his televised address announcing the dissolution of Congress, lacked a valid legal basis.
