Congress Approves Second Vote to Add 'Lesa Humanidad' to Peru's Penal Code

Overview

• The Permanent Committee of Congress approved the bill in a second vote on Thursday, July 9, 2026, passing it 14 to 9 with no abstentions.
• The text creates a new chapter in the Penal Code and defines crimes of lesa humanidad as acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population with knowledge and intent.
• The draft lists specific offenses that can qualify as crimes against humanity, including qualified homicide, human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual violence, enforced disappearance and torture.
• The proposal says it will apply immediately to cases already in process and to judgments under review while limiting retroactive application to acts occurring on or after Peru's entry into the Rome Statute on July 1, 2002.
• The measure reports conflicting penalty ranges in the press—most outlets cite 30 years to life while one reported 15–30 years—so final prison terms must be checked in the text the executive signs or observes; rights groups and commentators also warn the draft could change how past convictions and ongoing cases are treated.