World

Peru president's brother causes trouble behind bars

Published April 2, 2012 Updated April 2, 2012 03:15pm

LIMA:  President Ollanta Humala's brother Antauro, who was jailed after leading a 2005 military uprising, has been moved to a tighter security facility because of disciplinary problems, Justice Minister Juan Jimenez said Monday.

"For the past several months and years, he had been the source of excesses in terms of his behavior," Jimenez told state-owned TV Peru. "He is an undisciplined inmate, does not follow rules and so we have decided to take this drastic measure."

Jimenez said the president was on board with the change.

Antauro Humala was moved from Piedras Gordas prison, where he was held with common criminals, to the top security facility at theCallaonaval base, after engaging in "intimidation of prison staff," the justice minister said.

"So we see that the rule of law prevails in our country; no inmate gets special treatment," Jimenez added.

An army major at the time, Antauro Humala seized control of the southern Andean city ofAndahuaylasin early 2005 with a force of 150 soldiers, declaring that then president Alejandro Toledo lacked legitimacy.

Six people, including four police officers, were killed in the rebellion, which was put down.

Antauro was sentenced to 25 years in prison for leading an armed insurrection, but his sentence was reduced to 19 years byPeru's Supreme Court in August 2011.

As an army major in October 2000, President Ollanta Humala also led a small group of soldiers in an uprising against the corruption-riddled government of president Alberto Fujimori. Congress later pardoned him for that protest action.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012