Chile’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori must be sent back to Peru where he will face charges of corruption and human rights abuses.

Fujimori was president of Peru between 1990 and 2000, a decade of leadership tainted by numerous scandals which turned the 69-year-old politician into a controversial public figure.

After his tenure ended, Fujimori tried to escape justice and fled to Japan. He was facing corruption charges, being allegedly involved in a bribe scandal. Fujimori traveled to Chile after staying a period in Japan, but Chilean authorities tracked him down and arrested him in November 2005.

The Supreme Court presiding judge Alberto Chaigneau said Friday that the massacres at Barrios Altos and La Cantuta were the factors which determined the court to approve Fujimori’s extradition.

The judge said Fujimori’s case “was not complicated, it was very long,” adding that the court’s decision is final. Lawyers hired by Fujimori are expected to try to delay the implementation of the ruling, but experts said they have flimsy chances of dodging an imminent extradition.

He is to be deported in the following hours, but neither the Chilean or Peruvian authorities announced an exact timetable, citing security reasons.

Fujimori is also accused of stealing nearly 600 million dollars from Peru, which represents an additional corruption charge for which he will face trial. The former leader could receive a sentence of up to 30 years in jail if found guilty of the human rights charges.

Fujimori will be tried in Peru only for the charges accepted by Chile’s “court of last resort,” according to the treaty sealed by the two countries.

This latest development could have a great impact in both Chile and Peru, because bilateral relations have already been affected after a judge rejected the former leader’s extradition in July for the lack of clear evidence that would incriminate him.

Over the past three months, Fujimori has been under house arrest in a suburb of Santiago. The residence has been surrounded by law enforcement officers and media representatives.

The politician was allegedly planning his comeback when Chilean authorities detained him two years ago, as the latest opinion polls reveal that he is still supported by nearly 15 per cent of Peruvian voters.