Event Summary
On 25 August 2025, the First Criminal Appeals Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Ucayali upheld the convictions of businessmen Hugo Soria and José Estrada Huayta, along with brothers Segundo and Josimar Atachi Felix. They were convicted in 2024 by a court in Ucayali for the 2014 murders of four Ashéninka leaders — Edwin Chota Valera, Jorge Ríos Pérez, Leoncio Quintisima Meléndez, and Francisco Pinedo Ramírez — who had opposed illegal logging in their ancestral territory and for denouncing illegal logging activities to various authorities since 2008. The court had sentenced them to 28 years in prison and ordered civil reparations amounting to 50,000 soles. However, the ruling was appealed: the convicted individuals sought its annulment, while the Prosecutor’s Office requested an increased sentence. Ultimately, the First Criminal Appeals Chamber upheld the sentences and also increased civil reparations awarded to the victims’ families from 200,000 to 400,000 soles (approx. US$113,000).
This ruling represents a major step forward in strengthening the enabling environment for human and environmental rights defenders in Peru. It sends a clear message that justice can prevail even against powerful economic interests, acknowledges the grave risks faced by Indigenous defenders, and reinforces the legitimacy of their demands before the State. Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana – AIDESEP Vice President welcomed the decision, noting that it “paves the way for other cases involving Indigenous people who have been murdered defending their territories,” highlighting that over 35 defenders have lost their lives.