Cristina Kirchner takes corruption case to UN committee

Former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner said Wednesday she was taking her corruption conviction to the UN Human Rights Committee, saying she is innocent and alleging a plot to remove her from politics.

Kirchner, 73, was president from 2007 to 2015. In 2025, a court upheld her corruption conviction over public works contracts awarded in the southern Patagonia region during her time in office. She received a six-year prison sentence, is serving it under house arrest, and was banned for life from holding office.

"Perpetual proscription is, in fact, the main punishment," Kirchner said as she announced the move. In a letter posted on social media, she said her opponents wanted to stop part of Argentina's electorate from choosing its preferred political project.

The UN Human Rights Committee has 18 independent experts and monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by state parties. It cannot compel states to follow its rulings, but its decisions carry reputational weight.

Kirchner wants the committee to review the judges who handled her case. She also alleges she was a victim of "structural machismo" in the judiciary.

An appeals court recently rejected her defense's request to overturn an order to seize almost $500 million in assets linked to her. Another court in June warned Kirchner not to violate the terms of her house arrest after protests by her supporters allegedly disrupted the neighborhood.

Her removal from politics has opened debate over who should lead Peronism, the main opposition force to President Javier Milei.