JURIST - Paper Chase: Peru high court rejects prosecutor attempt at Fujimori extradition

[JURIST] Peru's Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a prosecutor's request to extradite former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori [personal website] from Chile so that he can face corruption and human rights charges in Peru. Supreme Court Justice Jose Luis Lecaros denied the request because the anti-corruption prosecutor sought to extradite Fujimori on the crime of abandoning his position as president of Peru, which is not a crime in Chile and therefore does not satisfy the requirements of Peru and Chile's bilateral extradition treaty. Fujimori was president of Peru until he fled the country for Japan in 2000 and subsequently resigned his position. Fujimori was arrested in Chile [JURIST report] earlier this month at the request of the Peruvian government and faces 21 charges of corruption and human rights abuses [IPS report], which could bring a total prison sentence of 225 years if he is convicted. Fujimori had arrived from Japan in an effort to reenter Peru and run for the presidency in April 2006, despite the fact that he has been banned from holding public office [JURIST report] until 2010. AFP has more.

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