MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian judge allows Keiko Fujimori to stay out of jail, for now

Fujiori will not return for now to prison but will have to if she does not comply with restrictive measures imposed on her

Peruvian presidential contender Keiko Fujimori has been allowed to stay out of jail Monday, but the judge's decision bars her from meeting with her closest campaign aides.

The daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, now incarcerated for human rights violations, is vying to become the country's next head of state, despite having narrowly lost to leftwing candidate Pedro Castillo on June 6's runoff.

But Castillo is yet to be declared the winner as the results have been challenged by both contenders on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral authorities are still to pass judgment on those appeals.

Judge Víctor Zúñiga, of the Fourth Permanent National Preparatory Investigation Court Specialized in Organized Crime, declared the prosecution's request unfounded and turned down its request that Fujimori returns to prison for her alleged involvement in cases of corruption.

But Zúñiga also ruled that Fujimori must follow “strict compliance with all the restrictive measures” that were dictated to her when she was released from prison. He warned that “if she does not do so, preventive detention will be issued against her again.”

The magistrate also stressed that, despite what was said by Fujimori's defence attorney, Giuliana Loza, the prohibitions include contacting any witnesses linked to the cases for which she is being investigated, among whom are her campaign aides Miguel Torres and Lourdes Flores.

In March, after more than four years of investigations, the Peruvian Prosecutor's Office requested the opening of an oral trial and sought a sentence of 30 years and 10 months in prison against the leader of Fuerza Popular for the alleged crimes of money laundering, organized crime, obstruction of justice and false declaration in administrative proceedings.

A victory in the presidential elections would spare Fujimori her trial.