Dear friends: in attached follows a letter The British Home Secretary as some doubts about releasing Pinochet for humanitary reasons and asked for week to deliberate about it. We can help him with some ideas sending him the attached letter or some other. This initiative comes from someone in the UE. It can be sent by mail, email ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) or fax: 0044-171-273 2190. If you want to express your opinion personally the telephone number is 0044 171 272 4000 best regards ernesto
The Rt Hon Jack Straw, MP Home Secretary 50 Queen Anne's Gate London SW1H 9AT United Kingdom Sir, I am most disturbed by the rumours about the possibility of a release on `humanitarian' grounds of Chilean senator Augusto Pinochet, currently under arrest by the British police. I believe that any claim of this nature would be unfounded, and in any case not applicable in this case. Firstly, Mr. Pinochet is in good health, he is not mentally impaired, and he is fully conscious of his situation and the charges against him. Besides, even if this was not the case, it would be a very sad paradox that a man who is allegedly responsible for crimes against humanity would go unpunished on so-called humanitarian grounds. The nature of the crimes that he is accused of is such that the standard procedures, including release by reason of health or age, are simply not applicable. On the other hand, a release on these grounds could imply lack of confidence in the legal system of the countries having requested Mr. Pinochet's extradition. Klaus Barbie, Adolf Eichmann, Erich Priebke and other notorious genocidals and mass-murderers were tried and sentenced regardless of their age or condition, and quite rightly so. It is true that all of them, as Mr. Pinochet now, had reached old age. Their numerous victims were not so lucky. It must also be remembered that several of these victims were British citizens. To mention just two of them, William Beausire, who has not been seen since 1975 and is assumed to be dead; and Sheila Cassidy, a doctor arrested in Santiago under the military regime. Both were innocent, both were abducted by agents on General Pinochet's orders and both suffered terrible torture. I consider that the Government of the United Kingdom is entitled and indeed duty-bound to prosecute or to extradite the man who gave the orders leading to these and many other crimes. Furthermore, Mr Pinochet has repeatedly admitted his responsibility for these events and has never showed any sign of regret. To the contrary, he has repeatedly vaunted his leading role in the bloody activities that occurred during his dictatorship. For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to do everything in your power as Home Secretary to ensure Mr. Pinochet is tried under the British justice system or, alternatively, to see he is extradited to Spain. I remain, Sir, Yours faithfully, Name And ID No. ....
