Court examines petition challenging Castillo’s removal, detention and conviction as left-wing coalition advances legal reform agenda.
A Peruvian court has agreed to hear a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of former President Pedro Castillo, opening judicial proceedings that challenge both the congressional decision that removed him from office and subsequent court rulings against him.
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The petition, submitted by Castillo’s lawyer Walter Ayala, presents seven legal arguments. Among them are requests to nullify the congressional resolution that ousted Castillo as president and the court order placing him in pretrial detention.
The filing also seeks to overturn the ruling that sentenced Castillo to 11 years and five months in prison for conspiracy to commit rebellion.
Separately, a parliamentary coalition made up of Ahora Nación, Juntos por el Perú and the Obras party has identified the repeal of laws benefiting organized crime as one of the main priorities for Peru’s next bicameral Congress.
Al pueblo peruano y a los pueblos del mundo; a las organizaciones que defienden los derechos de las personas y de los pueblos; y a los órganos de administración de justicia:
Yo, José Pedro Castillo Terrones, como presidente constitucional de la República del Perú, elegido por la… pic.twitter.com/PN3jzHz2VZ
— Pedro Castillo Terrones (@PedroCastilloTe) July 10, 2026
Text Reads: To the Peruvian people and the peoples of the world; to the organizations that defend the rights of people and peoples; and to the organs of justice administration:
I, José Pedro Castillo Terrones, as the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru, elected by the sovereign will of the people, address you with high morals, intact dignity, and the firmness granted to me by historical truth and legality, to announce to you a transcendental milestone in the struggle for justice in the face of the collapse of the democratic system in our country, of which I have been a victim, along with my people, during these last years.
I make it public knowledge that the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has officially issued Opinion No. 78/2025 regarding my case. In this historic decision, said international body has determined, unequivocally, that the Peruvian State flagrantly violated my human rights and that I was subjected to an arbitrary detention while exercising the office of president of the Republic, on December 7, 2022.
This decision confirms, unequivocally, that my imprisonment never had justification and that it was carried out in violation of fundamental norms of constitutionalism, the political pre-trial process, due process, and international agreements. The UN Working Group adopted this determination on the basis of its mandate and the universal principles established in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a binding international treaty of which the Peruvian State is a party and which it is obligated to comply with in good faith, within the framework of its international commitments.
The world now knows the findings contained in this opinion and can observe how the officials of the justice system and the political organizations that orchestrated my arrest and my immediate removal acted in a totally illegal manner, violating presidential immunity by fabricating a non-existent figure of flagrancy and a supposed “armed uprising” that never occurred, thereby undermining the rule of law.
In that sense, I make an energetic call and firmly exhort all national and international human rights protection bodies, as well as the instances of justice administration in Peru, to immediately comply with and implement what is provided by this United Nations body. Continuing to ignore this international pronouncement not only deepens the political persecution against me, but places the Peruvian State in a condition of open rebellion and violation of international law.
Finally, I express my deep gratitude to the millions of Peruvians who did not lower their arms and who clearly understood that everything done against me was to punish the people for electing one of their brothers, who with their tireless struggle in the streets, firmness, and moral support have been fundamental for international truth to shine in the face of injustice.
I also express my eternal gratitude for the work carried out by the international legal team.
José Pedro Castillo Terrones
Constitutional President of the Republic of Peru (2021-2026)
Former Juntos por el Perú presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez said recent legislative changes had weakened efforts to combat organized crime.
“By relaxing the statute of limitations, effective collaboration and other legal mechanisms, they have seriously undermined the defense of life, economic development and social peace. That is why we have made this one of the priorities of our coalition.”
The coalition has also questioned whether those legal changes have hindered cooperation by defendants, obstructed the confiscation of illicit assets and redefined organized crime in ways that favor impunity.
Carlos Rivera, a criminal lawyer and director of the Legal Defense Institute (IDL), argued that the legislation had directly benefited criminal organizations.
“Congress was directly acting in favor of criminal organizations by reducing the range of offenses they could commit that would be classified as organized crime.”
In parallel, social organizations and left-wing political parties have reached an agreement to eliminate provisions of a law that grant impunity to members of the armed forces and police accused of human rights violations.
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