Earlier in the day, the Peruvian president dissolved the country's parliament prior to a new hearing on his impeachment, which was the third formal attempt to oust him. Following the order, Peruvian Foreign Minister Cesar Landa announced his resignation, calling the decision a coup.
"The Ministry of Justice state representative, Daniel Soria, has filed a criminal complaint with the National Prosecutor's Office against citizen Pedro Castillo for the alleged commission of the crimes of rebellion, abuse of power and serious disturbance of public tranquility," the ministry tweeted.
The Peruvian General Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday that it launched a criminal case against Castillo on charges of a coup attempt and crimes against the state.
"The national prosecutor's offices decided to file a case against then-President Pedro Castillo on suspicion of committing a crime against state power and constitutional order in the form of a coup with damage to the state," the office said in a statement.
A release earlier issued by the Public Ministry of Peru explained Castillo's arrest was specifically ordered under article 346 of the country's penal code, as well as under the supervision of state prosecutor Patricia Benavides Vargas.
In line with Peruvian law, the crimes detailed by officials carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
In Peru, state representatives are lawyers with similar functions to prosecutors, who must report cases that have damaged the state's security. The state representative's office is part of the Justice Ministry, while the prosecutor's office is an independent body.
Wednesday's proceedings marked the latest in a series of political hurdles posed by conservative lawmakers resisting Castillo's presidency, which only began in July 2021 and saw a total of three impeachment efforts made against the figure.
On November 30, opposition lawmakers filed a motion against Castillo due to his "moral incompetence." The previous motion was filed following allegations of corruption; however, the proceedings failed to reach the necessary 87 votes in parliament, with only 55 congressmen voting in favor of the impeachment.