20th anniversary of the arrest of dictator Augusto Pinochet

“Pursuing those responsible for crimes against humanity is a matter of collective interest.”

– Juan Garcés, Right Livelihood Award Laureate

Today, 16 October 2018, marks the 20th anniversary of the arrest of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. In October 1998, Pinochet was arrested by British authorities in London where he was undergoing medical treatment. The international arrest warrant was issued by the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón at the request of the lawyer Juan Garcés. Garcés, who was a close advisor to former Chilean President Salvador Allende, initiated the legal procedure pursuing the detention of Pinochet for crimes of genocide, terrorism and torture.

In 1999, Juan Garcés received the Right Livelihood Award “for his long-standing efforts to end the impunity of dictators.”

Continue reading the Spanish opinion piece by Juan Garcés published in La Diaria and on our website.