Spain refuses to extradite 'torturer'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: News24

Spain refuses to extradite 'torturer'
2014-04-30 22:24

Madrid - Spain's top criminal court refused Wednesday to extradite a 67-year-old former policeman known as "Billy the Kid" to be tried in Argentina for alleged torture during the Franco era.

The National Court said the suspect, Antonio Gonzalez Pacheco, could not be sent to Argentina for trial because the charges related to events in Spain that occured too long ago.

The ruling echoed a decision the court took five days earlier with a second Franco-era suspect, Jesus Munecas, 75.

It sparked indignation among some victims of the regime of General Francisco Franco, who died in 1975.

"I think it is terrible, we are paying for the impunity of yesterday with the impunity of today," said 65-year-old Acacio Puig, a Franco-era victim.

Read more: http://www.news24.com/World/News/Spain-refuses-to-extradite-torturer-20140430

[denem]

1. How could a Spanish Court have decided otherwise?

Pacheco is a Spanish native, who can not be tried and found guilty in Spain for crimes committed in Spain, against Spanish victims. How can a Spanish Court extradite a suspect to a foreign jurisdiction to try him contrary to Spanish law, on the basis that Spanish Law is no excuse in those courts?

If Pacheco committed grave crimes against humanity, the case should have been taken to the International Court in the Hague, whose jurisdiction, Spain does recognise.

[Jesus Malverde]

2. There was real fear to discuss these crimes in the post Franco era

They need a real dose of sunlight just like the Bush era crimes.