On Thursday, a court in Peru issued an order mandating that the deposed president Pedro Castillo stay in detention for the next 18 months. The judge granted the request of the authorities for more time to prepare their case against Castillo on charges of insurrection.
The verdict of the court was handed down one day after the government proclaimed a state of emergency in an effort to quell the violent demonstrations that have been taking place.
Following Castillo’s unsuccessful effort to dissolve Congress in advance of an impeachment vote, members decided to remove him from office the previous week, which sparked the demonstrations that followed.
The ruling was handed down by Judge Cesar San Martin Castro a few days after Congress had removed the privilege that shields Peru’s presidents from being prosecuted for criminal offences.
Castillo and his legal team did not take part in Thursday’s virtual session because, according to their reasoning, it did not provide the required minimal assurances. He was defended by a lawyer from the public defender’s office.