Cristina Kirchner Seeks House Arrest After Corruption Conviction Upheld

Buenos Aires – Former Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has formally requested to serve her six-year prison sentence under house arrest, a move that comes on the heels of the supreme Court upholding her conviction and ban from holding public office [[1]]. The decision now rests with Oral Court 2, which will determine whether she can serve her sentence at her residence on San José 1111.

Legal Arguments and Counterarguments

Kirchner’s legal team, led by Carlos Beraldi, argues that her age (72) and former role as head of state make imprisonment in a common facility inappropriate [[3]]. They also cited the attempted assassination she survived on September 1, 2022, as a factor influencing their request. The defense has requested that an electronic monitoring anklet not be required, citing her existing security detail as sufficient supervision.

Prosecutors Diego Luciani and Sergio Mola are advocating that Kirchner serve her sentence in a dependency of the Federal Penitentiary Service. They argue that granting house arrest is a discretionary power, not an obligation, and should only be considered an exception. According to their opinion, “No humanitarian reasons are noticed that justify granting an remarkable measure as is home prison.” They also noted that Kirchner herself has stated she is in good health.

Did You Know? Granting house arrest is a power, not something mandatory. It is indeed an exception to the fulfillment of the deprivation of liberty.

The Controversial Property

The apartment where Cristina Kirchner seeks to serve her house arrest is owned by SAUCES SA, a family real estate company currently under examination for money laundering. Allegedly, funds used to purchase the property originated from a cash deposit of 4 million pesos made on May 6, 2015, in an account held by Los Sauces at the National Bank in Río Gallegos. on the same day, 3,959,000 pesos were withdrawn and used to buy Cedines (sovereign bonds) that financed the property acquisition. The FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) has flagged the origin of these funds as “unkown.”

The property,located on San José and Humberto Primo street,was sold by film director Jorge coscia for $370,000 in Cedines. In 2019, its value was estimated at 37,769,600 pesos. Federal Justice has requested a new appraisal to proceed with the confiscation of 85,000 million pesos ordered in the road case.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on the legal proceedings regarding the property’s appraisal, as it could considerably impact the confiscation efforts.

Timeline of Events

Next Steps

Judge Jorge Gorini, president of the Federal Oral Court 2, has requested the defense’s opinion on the Public Ministry’s criteria. Cristina Kirchner is expected to appear at Comodoro Py on Wednesday morning, when her arrest could be made effective.

Will the court grant Cristina Kirchner house arrest, or will she be required to serve her sentence in a federal penitentiary? How will the ongoing investigation into the property’s origins affect the final decision?