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Peru Envoy to Ask Japan to Revoke Fujimori's Citizenship
Peru's ambassador to Japan reportedly said he will ask Tokyo to revoke former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori's Japanese citizenship to pave the way for possible extradition to face charges of dereliction of duty.
Luis Macchiavello cited a law allowing the government to rescind the Japanese citizenship of any person with dual nationality who has held public office in a foreign country, the nationally circulated Asahi newspaper reported Wednesday.
``How can he have dual citizenship when he was president three times and visited Japan as president? It's clear that his Peruvian citizenship takes precedence,'' Macchiavello told the Asahi shortly after returning from a two-week visit to Lima.
Peruvian officials have been calling for Japan to return Fujimori, who has been living in Tokyo since November when he faxed his resignation to Lima while visiting Tokyo after attending an Asia-Pacific trade summit in Southeast Asia.
Japanese authorities later determined that Fujimori -- the son of Japanese immigrants to Peru -- possessed Japanese citizenship.
Without Japanese citizenship, Fujimori wouldn't be protected by Japanese laws prohibiting the deportation of its nationals. Officials in Japan, however, have said they have no intention of sending Fujimori back because Japan and Peru have no extradition treaty.
Officials at the Foreign Ministry were not available for comment early Wednesday morning, said a guard who answered the phone. Phones rang unanswered at the Justice Ministry.
Fujimori, who denies any criminal wrongdoing, is charged with dereliction of duty and abandonment of office.
Macchiavello left in late June for Lima, where he was reportedly to discuss Fujimori's status.
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