Vladimiro Montesinos Takes the Witness Stand in Fujimori Trial

Yesterday, Vladimiro Montesinos, Alberto Fujimori's intelligence chief and right-hand man, took the witness stand in the trial of the former Peruvian dictator. It was the first time that Fujimori and Montesinos had seen each other since they both fled the country--Montesinos to Venezuela, Fujimori to Japan--in the midst of a massive corruption scandal sparked by Montesinos's videotaped payoffs to opposition party leaders.

Due to his close governing relationship with Fujimori (the two were once known as the "siamese twins") and recent critical statements he made against his former boss, Montesinos's appearance in front of the court was one of the most anticipated of the trial. In his testimony, however, Montesinos--who was alternately described as "loquacious and risible"--attempted to exculpate Fujimori by asserting that he had "no responsibility" for the crimes involved in the case.

You can click here to read the Washington Post's piece on Montesinos's testimony.

Michelle Doherty, a colleague from DJPC and a co-facilitator for the delegation, was present in the courtroom as an international observer. Her firsthand report is forthcoming!