Peru high court upholds 25-year sentence vs ex-Pres. Fujimori

Peru's judicial system says that the Supreme Court has ratified a 25-year prison sentence for ex-President Alberto Fujimori. The sentence was imposed in April for the death-squad killing of 25 people and the kidnappings of a businessman and journalist during Fujimori's presidency from 1990 to 2000. The courts published the decision on their Internet site on Sunday. Gisela Ortiz, the relative of a victim of La Cantuta massacre, said the sentence offered closure after "a long journey of almost 18 years of fighting for truth and justice." Ronald Gamarra, lawyer of the relatives of the victims of La Cantuta and Barrios Altos massacres, said lawyers for Fujimori had no real, legal possibilities of questioning the sentence. The 71-year-old Fujimori is also fighting shorter sentences in three other cases. Fujimori's future may depend on his daughter Keiko's presidential campaign. She has vowed to free him if she's elected in 2011. – AP