AP Features, September 24th, 2007
Former President Alberto Fujimori, awaiting trial in Peru on seven charges of corruption and human rights violations, is being held in poor conditions, his attorney and daughter said Monday.
Fujimori, who fled Peru for Japan seven years ago as his 1990-2000 authoritarian government collapsed in scandal, was extradited from Chile on Saturday to face the charges.
On Monday, both his lawyer and daughter complained that he is being held in poor living conditions.
The 69-year-old former leader is confined to "a small room divided by a screen with almost nowhere to move around," said his lawyer, Cesar Nakazaki.
Nakazaki said Fujimori is suffering from high blood pressure and that he was awaiting a medical exam.
Fujimori's daughter, Keiko, a Peruvian lawmaker, blamed President Alan Garcia for her father's living conditions, which she called "strict."
"They're not even giving him the right to walk out on a patio," she said. She added that prison authorities had taken away one of the medicines he uses to fight high blood pressure.
Garcia disputed the claims, saying the former leader is being treated with "dignity."
"We didn't put Fujimori in a cage," he said. "We didn't put Fujimori in a prisoner's uniform, we didn't put him in handcuffs."
Garcia also said he believes Fujimori will be treated fairly when he goes on trial for charges include sanctioning the death-squad killings of 25 people, alleged payoffs to lawmakers and to news media, illegal phone tapping and misuse of government funds.
Fujimori calls the charges against him politically motivated and says he has a clear conscience.
