Letter: Lost generation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Regarding the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London, the Relatives of the Disappeared Detainees of Chile believe it necessary to make our position known to the British public.
The British community cannot forget that in Chile more than 3,000 disappeared detainees and political executions were the result of the military dictatorship for which, until now, there has been no justice.
We, the relatives of the victims, have fought without rest to see that those responsible for human rights violations do not go unpunished.
The judicial case initiated in Spain, the detention of the dictator in your country, recognition of the competence of Judge Baltazar Garzn and the various petitions for the extradition of Pinochet from Europe and the international community have strengthened our hope and our trust in the justice for which we have fought for so long and which has been denied us in Chile until today.
We hope anxiously and with renewed trust that the verdict of the House of Lords will recognize that crimes against humanity, genocide and state terrorism cannot be permitted under any circumstances, much less justified by invoking reasons of state to murder, torture and enforce disappearances of the population.
The immunity of the head of state cannot be extended to such crimes. To permit this would leave humanity itself defenceless.
It is necessary that Pinochet be extradited and judged in Spain because in our country the conditions do not exist which would require him to answer for his crimes.
For this reason, the British judicial system and government have a great historical responsibility regarding the verdict pending in the House of Lords.
VIVIANA DAZ C
Vice-president
HILDA SALDIVAR O
Public Relations
APOLONIA RAMIREZ C
Legal Commission
Agrupacin de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos
Santiago, Chile
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments