PERU: Former President Alberto Fujimorihis first day in jail

As ex-President Alberto Fujimori wraps up his first day in jail, his daughter says he is serene while the Supreme Court President guarantees a fair trial and former President Alejandro Fujimori said it was a victory for democracy. As former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori completed his first day under arrest on Sunday (September 23), his daughter Keiko said he was 'serene' but had a cold and the Supreme Court President said he would be given a fair trial. The former president returned to Peru on Saturday after a 7-year exile in Japan and Chile under heavy security and is awaiting trial on charges of corruption and human rights abuses. "My father arrived obviously exhausted. It's been a long trip. He also caught a chill because of the plane's air conditioner but he is calm, he is serene," she told reporters outside the police base. The congresswoman said she had a 40-minute visit with her father after 11p.m. local time (0400gmt) on Saturday, after he had completed legal proceedings. She also said that he had been given medicine for his cold. "The speed with which they're treating things concerns me," she added. "I hope there will be a bit more patience. My father is here now. He will collaborate with the justice system." Fujimori is a controversial figure in the Andean nation but he still draws crowds of supporters who credit him with halting hyperinflation, stabilizing the economy and controlling the Maoist rebel group Shining Path. A crowd of supporters gathered outside the police base where he was held, holding posters and chanting their support. According to analysts, the case marks the first time a former head of state has been extradited to his own country to face human rights charges. Supreme Court President Francisco Tabara said the Andean nation will rise to the challenge and provide a fair trial. "I think it's an opportunity for the Peruvian justice system to reaffirm its autonomy and independence and I reiterate that we're guaranteeing the former president will receive a just process," Tabara told reporters. Former President Alejandro Toledo -- who ruled from 2001 to 2006-- said the extradition was an important step in the country's history. "(It's) one more victory of democracy in Peru and in the world. For the first time, an ex-president is extradited to Peru," he told reporters. "However, I want to be clear, Mister Fujimori has been extradited. He has not been sentenced. On the 8-hour flight from Chile, Fujimori had a drop in blood pressure aboard the plane, according to his spokesman. Fujimori had been in Santiago since November 2005, when he was detained in Chile on an international warrant after flying in from Japan, the country of his parents' birth. He had lived in Japan since his government collapsed. He was planning to revive his political career in Peru, where he served two terms as president and his party, Alliance for the Future, is influential in Congress. Fujimori left office months into his third term when his government collapsed under a huge corruption scandal. He faxed his resignation from Japan. Officials have said he will be transferred to the prison guard school in Callao where he will remain until he is tried.

ITN Source | September 24, 2007

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