The government has annulled a decree prohibiting the extradition of Argentines suspected of torture or murder in the 1976-83 “Dirty War.” The landmark move announced on Friday could lead to dozens of officers and former junta leaders being tried abroad. Newly elected President Nestor Kirchner, himself briefly detained during the military dictatorship, signed the order after returning from a state visit to the United States. The move came a day after an Argentine judge rocked the military establishment by ordering the arrest of 45 military officials and one civilian at the request of a Spanish judge who charged them with murders of Spanish citizens during the dictatorship. The orders, which include several elderly and ill former junta leaders already detained on other rights charges, allows Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon to request the extraditions. Up to 30,000 leftist opponents died during the Dirty War. Kirchner came to power in May promising to end a “culture of impunity” that he said stained 20 years of democracy. Since then, legal moves against the military men, who still enjoy some legal protection due to amnesty laws in force, snowballed. Full Story
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