On 4 June, the judiciary upheld the continued imprisonment of former president Alberto Fujimori. His legal team had sought to argue on appeal that his continued imprisonment risked him contracting the Covid-19 virus. The court rejected the appeal lodged by Fujimori’s lawyers that claimed he was at risk, arguing that the conditions under which he is being held are totally atypical of those affecting the rest of Peru’s prisons. Since 2009, Fujimori has been held at a special jail in which he is the only inmate. The court confirmed that those working in this special jail had all been tested for Covid-19 and had registered negative. They include medical staff whose job it is to care for Fujimori’s health.

The government is seeking early release for selected prisoners to relieve overcrowding and reduce contagion in penal establishments. According to Justice Minister Fernando Castañeda, the numbers of prisoners to be released will be around 7,000. Up to now, early releases total 1,355. Castañeda has confirmed that so far 212 inmates have died from Covid-19, along with 15 prison workers. Currently, he said, 67 infected prisoners have been transferred to hospitals for treatment.