Ex-president Fujimori arrives in Peru for trial

LIMA, Sep 22 (Reuters) Former President Alberto Fujimori arrived in Peru today for the first time since his 10 year rule ended in disgrace in 2000 to face charges of abusing human rights and stealing public money in the Andean country.

Peruvian state TV showed a police plane carrying Fujimori arriving from Chile at the southern Peruvian city of Tacna. After refueling it will later head to the capital Lima.

Fujimori landed in his home country a day after Chile's Supreme Court authorized his extradition. He had been in Chile since November 2005, when he was detained on an international warrant for allowing extra-judicial killings.

''I am happy and satisfied. After so much despair for so long, we haven't fought in vain,'' said Gisela Ortiz, whose brother was murdered in 1992 by a government death squad.

The Chilean court unanimously accepted evidence from two notorious massacres -- known as Barrios Altos and La Cantuta -- in the early 1990s, when Peru was at war with the feared Maoist rebel group the Shining Path.

Students, a professor and a child were among the two dozen killed in the massacres, which Peruvian state prosecutors blame on death squads run by Fujimori's government. At the time, his government alleged the victims were rebel sympathizers.

After the Chilean court decision, Fujimori, 69, told Peru's RPP radio he had made ''huge'' mistakes while in government but that if he were put on trial he would prove that he acted properly.

REUTERS AK PM0105