UPDATED ON:
Monday, April 28, 2008
17:43 Mecca time, 14:43 GMT
 
News Europe
Spain refuses to extradite Peron
Isabel Peron waves to the crowd in Buenos
Aires in 1974 [AFP]
A court in Spain has rejected a request from Buenos Aires to extradite former Argentine president Isabel Peron,  wanted in her home country for alleged human rights violations.
 
Argentine authorities have issued two extradition requests for Peron, who moved to Spain in 1981.
The National Court on Monday ruled that the accusations against Peron, 77, could not be termed crimes against humanity and that there was insufficient evidence of her involvement.
 
The court ruled, therefore, that she could not be extradited.
Peron is wanted by a judge for questioning over the disappearance of 24-year-old Hector Aldo Fagetti Gallego and the arrest of a minor, Jorge Valentin Beron, in 1976.
 
Another judge wants to question her as part of a probe into the Anti-communist Alliance, a death squad blamed for killing at least 1,500 government opponents from 1973-1976.
 
'Insufficient evidence'

As for her alleged involvement in the death squad, the court said there was insufficient evidence to link Peron to the crimes "however terrible they were".

"These are crimes of common law already issued and raised to crimes against humanity [by Argentine authorities] ... so it has been decided to oppose the extradition," the court said in its ruling.

Her lawyers had argued the ex-leader should not be extradited since she is a citizen of Spian, over which Argentina does not have jurisdiction.

They also cited her advanced age and poor health as reasons against the extradition.

Peron became president in 1974 following the death of her husband, populist president Juan Peron.

She has lived in exile in Spain since being forced from government. 

Isabel married Juan Peron several years after the death of his second wife, the iconic Argentine first lady Eva Peron.

 Source: Agencies
 
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