Former Argentine president seeks UN review of corruption conviction and political ban

Former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, confined to a Buenos Aires apartment under a six-year house-arrest sentence and barred permanently from holding office, has filed a petition with the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The appeal follows the Argentine Supreme Court's June 2025 affirmation of her conviction in the "Vialidad" scandal, which involved alleged overpricing of road contracts in Santa Cruz tied to businessman Lázaro Báez.

Fernández de Kirchner contends the trial lacked impartiality and that the political ban aims to exclude her from future elections. Her submission, slated for the committee's October session, also seeks to ease restrictive house-arrest conditions. The strategy mirrors the UN's earlier decision in Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva case. While President Javier Milei dismisses the effort, the petition adds a new layer to Argentina's polarized politics amid a diplomatic downgrade by Brazil.