Pinochet

January 13, 2000
Web posted at: 3:35 p.m. EST (2035 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) -- Human rights groups called Thursday for more medical evaluations to corroborate Britain's decision that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is medically unfit to stand trial on human rights charges.

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Pinochet ruling

British Home Secretary Jack Straw's ruling effectively blocked Pinochet's extradition to Spain or any of the other countries that have investigated the general's iron-fisted, 17-year rule of Chile, which lasted from 1973 to 1990.

Nations seeking 84-year-old Pinochet's extradition from Great Britain on charges of human rights abuses against their citizens are Spain, France, Switzerland and Belgium. Straw gave parties affected by the ruling one week to appeal his decision.

Inge Genefke, secretary-general of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRTC), based in Copenhagen, Denmark, demanded that an international team of doctors conduct a second test.

"I'm not attacking the British doctors," Genefke told CNN Danmark. "But as a doctor myself, I'm used to hearing the opinions of others. And in this case it's extremely important."

A team of four independent doctors examined Pinochet on January 5 and determined that his physical and mental health had deteriorated significantly.

Genefke made his recommendations for another evaluation in an open letter to Straw, but told CNN Danmark that a medical report should not be the final determination on whether Pinochet stands trial.

"According to international law, it's not allowed to permit any kind of amnesty for torturers," she said. "And doctors are not to decide whether a person should testify or not. It's up to the courts to decide that."

Amnesty International also called for further examinations, and said it was meeting its lawyers and other human rights organizations to determine the next step.

"Since the states requesting his extradition were not given the opportunity to observe the medical examination, then they should be allowed to ... nominate their medical expert to conduct a medical examination," said Amnesty International.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyers in Spain joined forces with the Spanish judge behind Pinochet's arrest -- Baltasar Garzon -- to appeal Straw's decision. They focused their attacks on Straw's decision to keep the results of Pinochet's medical examination confidential.

Pinochet was arrested in London in October 1998 at the request of Garzon, who was investigating the fate of several Spaniards who were in Chile during the general's rule. Straw's ruling came as Garzon pushed for extradition to Spain so the former dictator could stand trial.

Although Spanish and Chilean governments have indicated they will not appeal Britain's decision, Spanish lawyers say they will press on with the case. Switzerland, Belgium and France are considering their next course of action.

CNN Danmark's Jesper Bang-Udesen and Reuters contributed to this report.

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