? ?
WORLD / America
Fujimori returns to Peru to face trial
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-23 08:23
Lima - Alberto Fujimori returned to Peru on Saturday to face charges of
corruption and human rights violations, a grim homecoming for the?former
president?who fled the country seven years ago as his government
collapsed in scandal.
The plane carrying the 69-year-old former ruler landed in a heavy mist at
Lima's Las Palmas air force base, a day after Chile's Supreme Court
authorized his extradition. He was then flown by helicopter to a police
base, where he is to be held until a permanent facility is prepared for
his detention.
Some 700 supporters who gathered outside the police air terminal across
town to greet him were frustated when his plane was diverted to the air
base.
"We have come to welcome Fujimori, to tell him that we are with him and
will accompany him wherever he goes so that he feels he has the support
of his people," said his daughter Keiko Fujimori, who was elected to
Congress in 2006.
Fujimori's extradition from Chile has provoked reactions ranging from
elation to indignation.
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori (partially obscured by
policeman) walks to a police helicopter in "Hacienda Chiucureo"
neighborhood, some 30 km?north of Santiago, September 22, 2007.?[Reuters]
A recent poll showed that 23 percent of Peruvians want to see him back in
politics and some worry his return could provoke turmoil in a country
emerging from decades of political and economic chaos.
"There will be a sector of the country that will identify with him, and
he will play a destabilizing opposition role," said congressman Javier
Valle Riestra, a leader of President Alan Garcia's Aprista party.
Fujimori was flying to Peru under police custody Saturday, a day after
the Chilean Supreme Court ordered his extradition on human rights and
corruption charges.
Fujimori's followers and foes alike were stunned in November 2005, when
he landed in a small plane in Chile and revealed his ambition to run for
president in the 2006 elections, even though Peru's Congress had banned
him from seeking public office until 2011. He was promptly arrested.
Fujimori had earned a reputation as a cool-headed strategist in handling
multiple crises as president. But he may have miscalculated when he
decided to leave his safe refuge in Japan, where he enjoyed immunity from
extradition because of his Japanese nationality, inherited from his
migrant parents.
It "will be interesting to see how Houdini gets out of this one," said
Michael Shifter, a Latin America analyst at the Inter-American Dialogue
think tank in Washington.
Fujimori said on the eve of his departure that while his government made
mistakes, he has a clear conscience.
"This does not mean that I've been tried, much less convicted. ... I hope
that in Peru there exists the due process to clarify the accusations
against me," he told the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
He noted that while the Chilean Supreme Court authorized his extradition,
it significantly reduced the charges for which he can be tried in Peru.
According to the extradition treaty between the two countries, he can
only be tried on the charges for which the extradition was approved.
Fujimori also suggested that he's eyeing a political comeback, saying, "I
still have majority support from a very popular political current.
"I assure you that there will be a political heir if I am no longer
around," he added. "There will be a Fujimori movement for a long time. I
guarantee that there will be some Fujimori in the next presidential race."
He said his daughter Keiko, who was elected to Congress last year with
600,000 votes, far more than any other legislator, has "what it takes" to
be president.
On Friday, Keiko, 32, who is six months pregnant with her first child,
demanded that he not be mistreated while in custody and urged supporters
to greet him at the airport.
"Fujimori was the one who brought peace to this country, who defeated
terrorism, and it seems a paradox that today Fujimori is being tried for
human rights," she said.
The Fujimori-allied Congressman Rolando Souza predicted that if the
former leader does not receive a fair trial and is sentenced to a long
prison term, indignation among his supporters would propel his daughter
into the presidency in 2011.
"I'm completely sure of it," he said.
Peruvian prosecutors are seeking 30 years in prison for each human rights
charge, and up to 10 years for the corruption charges. But prison terms
run concurrently under Peruvian law.
Top World News ?
* 2m turned homeless since Iraqi war
* Fukuda wins Japan leadership race; to become PM
* Fujimori returns to Peru to face trial
* Iran shows off new missile, taunts Israel
* Japan's ruling party choosing new leader
Today's Top News ?
* Fukuda wins race; to become Japanese PM
* Int'l cooperation urged to fight hackers
* 2m turned homeless since Iraqi war
* China to build new space launch center
* One more missing Russian tourist found
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Learn Chinese, Chinese School, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment