Former Peruvian President Rejects Allegations of Conspiracy and Rebellion, Supreme Court Justices Do Not Grant Suspend

JAKARTA - Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has rejected accusations of conspiracy and rebellion in court appearances, following his dramatic ouster and arrest last week.

His court appearance on Tuesday came amid ongoing protests by Castillo supporters that have left at least six people dead.

During a virtual court hearing to appeal the seven-day restraining order, Castillo told Judge Cesar San Martin "I have never committed a crime of conspiracy or rebellion" and described his detention as arbitrary and unjust.

Wearing a blue jacket and sitting next to his lawyer Ronald Atencio, Castillo also said, "I will never resign and abandon this popular cause."

"From here I would like to urge the army and police to lay down their weapons and stop killing these people who are thirsty for justice. Tomorrow at 1:42 p.m. I want my people to join me…" he continued, before being interrupted by the judge.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Cesar San Martin Castro rejected Pedro Castillo's request to end his detention. The decision could further inflame the ongoing political crisis, as demonstrators demand Castillo's freedom and call for his successor, former Vice President Dina Boluarte, to step down.

In ruling against Castillo's appeal on Tuesday, the judge said the former president's attempt last week to dissolve Congress was "not just a remark, but a concrete expression of a desire to change the constitutional system and the configuration of public power", he said, quoted by Al Jazeera.

Castillo was impeached and arrested on December 7 after he announced plans to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government ahead of an impeachment vote by lawmakers. Dina Boluarte, his former vice president, was then sworn in as president in his stead.