The Extradition of Chilean General Augusto Pinochet: Justice Delayed?
The Conflict
General Pinochet led a coup in Chile in 1973 following which there were killings, torture, and "disappearances" of dissenters. Then Pinochet, no longer the head of the government, traveled to London, England; Spanish government officials sought to extradite him from England for crimes committed by him and his administration.
Political
- Political leaders are responsible for the crimes committed by their governments.
- It is the world's responsibility, including international courts or country-specific courts such as Spain's, to make sure suspected criminals—including heads of government—are held responsible.
- If political leaders are held responsible, any leader traveling outside his or her country could be charged and tried.
- It is the responsibility of Chile to decide whether to charge Pinochet with crimes.
Efforts to extradite General Augusto Pinochet (pronounced Pin-O-Shay) to Spain captured the attention of the world from late 1998 through early 2000. Charges of human rights abuses by Pinochet's administration, which governed Chile from 1973 to 1989, revived the interest of international observers. Many had long questioned the activities of military dictatorships in repressing their own citizens, as well as foreign visitors, for alleged political crimes. Amnesty International and the families of the "disappeared," who were victims of Pinochet's military and paramilitary forces, actively sought the former dictator's extradition for trial.
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