As the former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet, flies home the British Home Secretary has said the extradition case against him had established that human rights abusers cannot assume they are safe. Jack Straw said a trial of Senator Pinochet, however desirable, was simply no longer possible on medical grounds. Speaking in the Commins, he said he was keenly aware of the gravity of his alleged crimes but said the case had been unprecedented. Mr Straw said he now wanted a review of Britain's extradition law.
A Chilean military aircraft carrying Pinochet left for Santiago from an RAF station in Lincolnshire and is expected there tomorrow morning. General Pinochet was allowed to leave the United Kingdom after Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and France, the countries which had sought his extradition, decided not to appeal against Mr Straw's decision not to proceed with their extradition requests.
The Spanish government said this morning that it would respect Britain's decision not to extradite the former Chilean dictator. In a letter to the Spanish ambassador explaining the decision, the Home Office said that Mr Straw had given full consideration to representations from the four countries seeking the General's extradition. The statement said that Mr Straw had reviewed the January medical report on General Pinochet, and had decided that the conclusions of the original report were correct and that he should not stand trial.
Human Rights groups and campaigners for alleged victims of Pinochet have expressed disappointment at this morning's ruling. They will take no comfort from the fact that it is unlikely that General Pinochet will ever stand trial at home in Chile. However a Chilean judge is preparing to start legal proceedings against Senator Pinochet. The Spanish judge who started extradition proceedings, Baltasar Garzon, has said he will still seek General Pinochet's arrest if he sets foot outside Chile again.
