Peace Boat, as well as welcoming the detention of former President Alberto Fujimori by the Chilean government, seeks his early repatriation in response to the Peruvian government’s demand of his expatriation from the Chilean government.

In November 2000, directly after Fujimori proclaimed his resignation as President in Japan, Peace Boat visited Peru and was requested by CNDDH (Peru National Coordinator of Human Rights) and bereaved families of victims of atrocities that occurred during the Fujimori regime to pressure the government of Japan to force Fujimori to return to Peru.

Peace Boat subsequently created a network called “Bring Fujimori to Justice Network JAPAN” in cooperation with Amnesty International Japan, RESODEP (Peru Democratization Solidarity Network) and the ‘Group to Consider Human Rights Abuses in Peru and the Responsibility of Fujimori.’ This Network has made various efforts to bring Fujimori to justice including: submitting questions to the Japanese Diet; inviting victims of atrocities to hold speaking tours in Japan; and sending fact-finding teams to Peru to investigate alleged crimes.

The Japanese government refuses consistently to hand over Fujimori to Peru and maintains the position that to do so would be an infringement of the principle of non-extradition of its own nationals, given that an extradition treaty has not been enacted between Japan and Peru. There is however, a precedent of Peru extraditing criminals to Japan, and so the absence of such an agreement cannot be reason for failing to extradite a criminal from Japan to Peru. It must be said that Fujimori, who was President of Peru for 11 years, possesses Japanese citizenship only in a technical sense. Our network has also criticised the Japanese government for ignoring international law which states that those persons suspected of grave human rights abuses must not be exempt from facing trial.

Fujimori is currently being detained in Chile. The issue of Fujimori’s extradition to Peru – that was not able to be carried out by Japanese citizens – is now in the hands of the citizens of Chile. Peace Boat has called to the port of Valparaiso carrying a message to the Chilean government and citizens from the bereaved families of the victims of the La Cantuta incident, an atrocity that occurred during the Fujimori administration. Sharing the feelings of the victims, we hope that together with the Chilean citizens who are fighting to create a society free from human rights abuses, we can realise the extradition of Fujimori to Peru to face trial.