Justice considers Cristina Kirchner's house 'adequate' for house arrest

The apartment of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner at San José 1111, in the Monserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires, was considered "suitable" for possible house arrest, according to the socio-environmental report requested by Federal Oral Court 2. The evaluation was prepared by specialists from the Directorate of Control and Assistance of Penal Execution, who presented their findings at Comodoro Py. The analysis of the property and its surroundings was one of the preliminary measures ordered by the judges to decide whether to grant the request for house arrest submitted by the former president's defense, who was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption. Judicial sources indicated that the report describes the conditions of the neighborhood, vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the type of neighboring residences, and other relevant aspects. Although the result is not binding, it is part of the elements that the judges must evaluate before making a decision.

Reasons for the request: age, security, and "attack"

The defense of Cristina Kirchner based its request on three key aspects: her age (72 years old), the need to ensure enhanced security due to her status as a former head of state, and the alleged attempted homicide she suffered on September 1, 2022. In the presentation made on Tuesday, the lawyers emphasized: "It is incontrovertible that in the case of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, serving a custodial sentence can only be carried out under the modality of house arrest". They also requested that she not be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor, considering it incompatible with her particular situation.

Alternatives to house arrest

In parallel with the analysis of the report, the court requested the Ministry of Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, to propose possible places of detention under police custody, in case the option of serving the sentence at her residence is rejected. Javier Milei's government has already submitted confidential options, contained in a confidential envelope kept in a safe. According to Infobae, these alternatives are designed to guarantee both the security of the former president and the required judicial conditions. For each convicted individual, the judiciary identified relevant variables. In the case of the former president, her age, her law degree, and her dual institutional role as former president and former vice president of the Nation were highlighted, in addition to the 2022 attack, which is currently under oral and public debate.

Expectation regarding the prosecution's position

The next step will be to learn the opinion of the Public Prosecutor's Office. The court granted a period of three business days for prosecutors Diego Luciani and Sergio Mola to issue their opinion. Afterwards, the judges will be in a position to decide whether Cristina Kirchner will begin serving her sentence in her Monserrat apartment or another modality will be ordered. Meanwhile, the former president confirmed that she will appear next Wednesday at Comodoro Py, in compliance with the judicial requirement, as will the other eight convicted individuals in the case.