Peru Appeals Court Upholds Long Prison Terms in Landmark Labor Slavery Case

Overview

• Judges confirmed sentences of 35 years for Jonny Coico and 32 years for Vilma Zeña for human trafficking with the purpose of labor slavery.
• Prosecutors said this is the country’s first confirmed second‑instance conviction for the crime of labor slavery, creating an important legal precedent.
• Coico is detained at the Miguel Castro Castro prison, while Zeña remains a fugitive with a state reward of S/50,000 for information leading to her capture.
• The court ordered a ban on contracting with the State for the duration of the sentences and set civil reparations of S/20,000 for survivors and S/479,000 and S/459,000 for the heirs of the two deceased.
• Investigators found workers were locked in a metal container from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in unsafe conditions to rebrand cheap lightbulbs, and the 2017 blaze killed Jorge Luis Huamán and Jovi Herrera.