President Dina Boluarte Criticizes Court Order Halting Peru’s Amnesty Law

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has forcefully criticized the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) for its opposition to a new amnesty bill passed by Peru’s Congress in July 2025. The controversial legislation seeks to grant legal immunity to military and police personnel, as well as members of self-defence committees, involved in Peru's internal conflict from 1985 to 2000. This period, marked by brutal confrontations between state forces and insurgent groups like the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, resulted in the deaths of approximately 70,000 people, the majority of whom were rural and Indigenous civilians.

On Thursday, Boluarte publicly rejected the IACHR's call to suspend the bill, asserting that the court had exceeded its jurisdiction. “We are not anyone’s colony,” she stated on social media, defending the bill as a mechanism for justice for the armed forces who, according to her, risked their lives combating terrorism. The bill is currently awaiting her final approval. She has the option to sign it into law, let it pass into law automatically, or return it to Congress for amendments.

Critics, including international human rights organizations and the United Nations, have condemned the bill, arguing that it offers blanket protection to those responsible for grave human rights abuses, including massacres, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. A particularly controversial clause provides “humanitarian” amnesty for convicted individuals over the age of 70. Survivors and families of victims argue that this move erases accountability and justice.

Among those opposing the bill is Francisco Ochoa, a survivor of the Accomarca massacre, where soldiers slaughtered villagers during the conflict. Ochoa expressed feelings of outrage and betrayal, sentiments echoed by many other survivors and international observers. The National Human Rights Coordinator in Peru estimates that the law could nullify 156 existing convictions and disrupt more than 600 ongoing human rights investigations.

On July 17, nine UN human rights experts issued a statement expressing “alarm” at the bill’s progression through Congress, urging the Peruvian government to veto it. They emphasized that such legislation would prevent prosecution for individuals involved in severe human rights violations and would place Peru in direct violation of its international legal commitments.

A week later, on July 24, the president of the IACHR, Nancy Hernandez Lopez, officially ordered Peru to “immediately suspend the processing” of the amnesty bill. She stated that the bill directly contradicts prior court rulings against similar legislation and violates international law. Hernandez also warned that if the law is not suspended, national authorities should refrain from enforcing it. She announced that a session would be convened involving survivors, government representatives, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to discuss the matter further.

The IACHR has previously ruled that amnesty laws and statutes of limitations cannot be applied to serious human rights crimes, such as torture, forced disappearance, and extrajudicial execution. The court also clarified that age should not exempt individuals from prosecution for such crimes, except in cases involving minor or non-violent offenses.

Despite widespread criticism, Boluarte defended her administration, claiming it remains committed to human rights and national sovereignty. She described her government as “free, sovereign, and autonomous,” signaling defiance toward the IACHR and its ruling.