Buenos Aires, June 17, 2025 (AFP)
Prosecutors in the graft case against Argentine former president Cristina Kirchner opposed her request to serve a six-year sentence under house arrest on Tuesday, a day before she is due to hand herself in.
Argentina's Supreme Court last week upheld the 72-year-old's fraud conviction as well as a sentence of six years and a lifelong ban on holding public office.
This closed off the final appeal avenue after Kirchner was convicted in 2022 of fraud in the awarding of public works tenders during her 2007-2015 presidency.
She has until Wednesday to report to authorities to start serving her sentence, which she had asked to do under house arrest in accordance with allowances made under Argentine law for convicted criminals aged over 70.
Kirchner, who survived a botched assassination attempt in September 2022, cited security reasons for her request and pointed out that as a former president, she was entitled to lifelong police protection, which she would not enjoy in prison.
But on Tuesday, prosecutors Diego Luciani and Sergio Mola submitted a document to the court in which they argue that permission to serve a sentence under house arrest is only granted in exceptional cases.
"The humanitarian reasons that would justify such an exceptional measure are not evident" in this case, they argued, pointing to a lack of "health or personal reasons suggesting that incarceration would compromise a dignified or humane treatment."
If house arrest is granted -- the court has yet to give its final answer -- the prosecutors asked that Kirchner be compelled to wear an electronic bracelet.
Hundreds of supporters of Kirchner, who has been a dominant leftist force in Argentine politics for the past two decades, have observed a near-constant vigil outside her Buenos Aires apartment since the court ruling, and are gearing up for demonstrations in the capital Wednesday.

Sumber : AFP