Fujimori Faces Public After Months of Isolation in Japan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 11, 2002

Fujimori Faces Public After Months of Isolation in Japan

Peru's disgraced ex-president Alberto Fujimori ended 14 months of seclusion in Japan on Thursday, portraying himself in a speech as a crusader against terrorism who saved his nation from ruin.

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Peru's disgraced ex-president Alberto Fujimori ended 14 months of seclusion in Japan on Thursday, portraying himself in a speech as a crusader against terrorism who saved his nation from ruin.

Gesticulating forcefully, Fujimori addressed nearly 2,000 people at Tokyo's Takushoku University, which gave him a statesman's welcome and provided heavy security.

He was introduced with the honorific "sensei," or teacher. A bouquet of flowers was placed by the podium covered in red velvet.

Outside the hall, dozens of demonstrators expressed outrage at the VIP treatment accorded a man they accuse of raiding Peru's state coffers and ordering torture and mass killings.

The Peruvian government wants to extradite Fujimori on charges of corruption and murder for allegedly sanctioning a paramilitary death squad. Tokyo holds that Fujimori is a Japanese citizen, and Japanese law prohibits the extradition of its citizens for crimes committed overseas. He was born in Peru, the son of a Japanese immigrant.

Fujimori has denied any criminal wrongdoing.

The once flamboyant Fujimori has lived in seclusion since he sought refuge in Japan in November 2000 when his government collapsed in Lima.

Peruvian observers said his first public speech may be a sign that he is considering a return to public life.

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