Peru Cabinet approves Fujimori extradition

June 14, 2002

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru's Cabinet has approved a request seeking the extradition of former President Alberto Fujimori from Japan to face trial for two state-sponsored massacres in the early 1990s, the justice minister said. Japan is unlikely to hand him over.

Fernando Olivera told reporters Thursday that Peru's judiciary would have to translate the extradition request into Japanese so that the foreign ministry could send it to Japan. Foreign Minister Diego Garcia-Sayan said translating the 600-page document could take up to two months.

Fujimori, who was president for 10 years, has been living in his parents' native Japan since his government collapsed in a corruption scandal in November 2000.

The son of Japanese immigrants, Fujimori was granted Japanese citizenship shortly after his arrival in Japan. Japanese law prohibits the extradition of citizens for crimes committed in other countries.

Fujimori faces homicide and forced disappearance charges for allegedly sanctioning two massacres of supposed guerrilla sympathizers by a paramilitary death squad in 1991 and 1992. Fujimori denies the accusations and says he would not receive a fair trial in Peru.

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