PERU
Preventive Prison
Peru’s top court ordered the release from jail of former President Ollanta Humala and his wife, warning against the excessive use of so-called “preventive prison,” or lengthy periods of pretrial detention.
Humala and his wife, who both say they’re innocent, have been behind bars for nine months awaiting trial on money laundering charges, Reuters reported.
“Preventive prison is not the general rule but an exception,” said judge Ernesto Blume. The court “must guarantee the right to personal liberty as well as the presumption of innocence.”
Humala and former first lady Nadine Heredia are among various other politicians, former government officials and business leaders who have been jailed pending trial in connection with the Odebrecht corruption case. The Brazilian construction firm has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes across Latin America.
Former Presidents Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and opposition leader Keiko Fujimori face similar allegations.
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