Ex-Peru president Fujimori registers for 2006 election News
Ex-Peru president Fujimori registers for 2006 election

[JURIST] Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori [personal website; JURIST news archive], who fled to Japan after a corruption scandal in 2000, registered through intermediaries to run for president of Peru again Friday, shortly after a Chilean judge detained him indefinitely [JURIST report] pending consideration of an extradition request from Peru. Fujimori returned to South America in November, but was immediately arrested in Chile [JURIST report] at the request of the Peruvian government. If extradited to Peru, Fujimori will face 12 charges [JURIST report], including authorizing an illegal death squad, abuse of power, and corruption. Fujimori has vowed to take back the presidency, despite having been judicially barred from public office until 2010 [JURIST report], and hopes that popular support will pressure lawmakers to abandon his restriction. Peru’s electoral board only bars sentenced criminals from running for president, but it is widely believed that Fujimori’s presidential registration will be rejected by the electoral board next week. Reuters has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase