JURIST - Paper Chase: Former Peru president held in Chile running for Japan parliament

[JURIST] Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori [personal website; JURIST news archive] told the Associated Press Wednesday that he will run for office in Japan's House of Councillors [official website] under the People's New Party (PNP) [party website, in Japanese] banner despite being subjected to house arrest [JURIST report] in Chile and facing possible extradition to Peru to face corruption and human rights charges. PNP leader Shizuka Kamei says the PNP will request that the Japanese government secure Fujimori's release from house arrest in Chile so that he can participate in campaigning. The PNP, established in 2005 by splinters from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) [party website], maintains only 4 out of 247 seats in the House, the upper chamber of the National Diet, Japan's parliament.

Peru has indicated that it will accept the Chilean Supreme Court's eventual ruling on Fujimori's fate. Earlier this month, Chile's chief prosecutor recommended that the court extradite [JURIST report] Fujimori in accordance with a request by Peru [JURIST report]. Fujimori, who was president of Peru from 1990 to 2000, fled from Peru to Japan when corruption and human rights allegations surfaced against him. The Japanese government refused Peruvian requests for Fujimori's arrest and extradition despite an Interpol international warrant [press release] for his arrest. In November 2005, he flew into Chile as part of a plan to campaign for the presidency of Peru despite having been officially banned from holding public office [JURIST report] until 2010. He was arrested and detained at Peru's request [JURIST report]. AP has more.

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