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 News from Around the Americas | January 2007 
Argentina Seeks Extradition of 'Dirty War' Suspect
 Associated Press
| | Ricardo Miguel Cavallo, pictured in a Mexican jail in 2000, is a former military officer considered a major figure in the Argentine military juntas of the 1970s and 1980s. (Agence France Presse) |
Madrid, Spain - A Spanish court on Tuesday received a request from Argentina for the extradition of an Argentine "dirty war" suspect who has been in custody in Spain for more than three years, a court spokeswoman said.
Ricardo Miguel Cavallo, a former military officer considered a major figure in the repressive military juntas that ruled Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s, was extradited from Mexico City to Madrid in 2003 after a Spanish judge charged him with genocide, terrorism and other crimes under Spain's so-called universal justice law.
It allows crimes against humanity and other serious offenses allegedly committed elsewhere to be prosecuted in Spain.
But last month, Spain's National Court ruled against trying Cavallo in Spain, offering instead to hand him over to Argentina.
The extradition request must now be approved by the court and the Spanish government. It was not clear when a decision would be announced.
Cavallo was released from jail Monday because the extradition request had not arrived at the court within the required 40 days. However, he was re-arrested on appearing at the court voluntarily Tuesday, hours after the faxed document arrived, said a court spokeswoman, who under court rules could not be identified.
Cavallo, also known by his nicknames "Marcelo" or "Serpico," has been in prison in Spain since June 29, 2003. He had been living in Mexico under an assumed name, but a newspaper ran a front-page picture of him and five former political prisoners identified him as their torturer, leading to his arrest.
Cavallo was a navy commander in Buenos Aires and worked in the Navy Mechanical School - known by its Spanish initials ESMA - which became a notorious detention center in Buenos Aires where thousands of prisoners were tortured or executed.
During the 1976-1983 dictatorship, at least 9,000 Argentines vanished - and presumably were killed - as the government rounded up leftist and anti-government activists. Human rights groups put the figure at 30,000. |
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