Peace Boat, a FORUM-ASIA member, released a joint statement with other NGOs calling for the immediate return of former Peruvian president Fujimori to be tried for his involvement in grave human rights violations during his presidential term. Fujimori is being criticised by civil society for attempting to escape persecution in Peru by running for the upcoming Japanese upper house elections.

On 11 July, the Japan Network for Bringing Justice to Fujimori held a press conference calling for the immediate return of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori to Peru to be tried for his involvement in massacres, abductions and other human rights violations. Peace Boat, a member organisation of FORUM-ASIA along with Amnesty International Japan, Human Rights and Justice in Peru Kansai Group and the Peru Democratization Solidarity Network (RESODEP) are heading this campaign.

Civil society is enraged at the fact that Fujimori, who has dual citizenship with Peru and Japan, announced his intention to run for the upcoming Japan Upper House elections on 29 July. He is being accused of attempting to avoid prosecution in Peru by running for political office in Japan.

Fujimori, who escaped to Japan in 2000, has chose to ignore arrest warrants from both the Supreme Court of Peru and Interpol (ICPO) and is currently under house arrest in Chile. A Chilean judge has recently ruled against the extradition of Fujimori to Peru, disappointing those that have worked hard to put a stop to impunity.

While Peru civil society has a role to play in putting pressure on the government to appeal this court ruling, the joint statement pressures Japan to uphold international human rights standards by extraditing Fujimori to Peru if he should ever enter Japan and demands that political parties stop contributing to impunity for offenders of mass human rights violations.

For the statement released by the Japan Network for Bringing Justice to Fujimori please visit: http://www.amnesty.or.jp/modules/news/article.php?storyid=333&sel_lang=english