Peru Frees 45 Unjustly Jailed for Terrorism

LIMA, Peru — The government Wednesday released another 45 prisoners who were jailed unjustly as terrorists during its ongoing war against Communist guerrillas.

A decree published in the official daily El Peruano and signed by President Alberto Fujimori announced pardons for the prisoners serving sentences in 15 jails.

Their release brings to 76 the number of innocent inmates freed on the recommendation of a new government-appointed commission examining the cases for pardons among the more than 3,000 prisoners held on terrorism charges.

The government, which since 1995 has released about 300 prisoners wrongly accused of terrorism, has admitted that more than 300 others could still be unfairly behind bars. Human rights groups say the number could be as high as 1,000.