Releasing Pinochet

Article Abstract:

Augusto Pinochet, former dictator of Chile, may be sent home from Britain to Chile on grounds of poor health, though he is sought to stand trial in Spain on torture charges. The case has meant that dictators can no longer indulge in torture, murder and arbitrary arrest and believe that they will never face justice, even after losing power. A former head of state is no longer seen as immune from proescution over human rights abuses. Switzerland, Belgium and France are also calling for Pinochet to be extradited, which emphasizes greater willingness to tackle crimes of former dictators when they go abroad.

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Jack Straw and General Pinochet

Article Abstract:

United Kingdom home secretary, Jack Straw, has to make a decision on former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet. Straw has to decide whether to permit the courts to go through an extradition process. The Law Lords have ruled that Pinochet's having been a head of state does not bestow immunity on him. The safest refuge for Jack Straw is the law, and political and emotional issues can be left to one side. The leader of the Conservative party, William Hague, argues that Pinochet should go back to Chile, as though the legal issues could be ignored.

United Kingdom, Chile, British foreign relations, Chilean foreign relations

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Confusion over Pinochet

Article Abstract:

The British Law Lords have decided that Augusto Pinochet can be extradited, but that he should only face charges for offenses that it is claimed he committed after Dec 1988. This is a confusing decision which will not help with the development of human rights law. There have been seven separate judgements from the Law Lords, each one different. The latest decision leaves loopholes which ordinary criminals could exploit, and leave Britain a safe place for criminals to hide in.

United Kingdom. Parliament. House of Lords

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