Brussels - Mr Louis Michel, the Foreign Minister of Belgium, one of four countries that had been seeking the extradition Gen Pinochet, said yesterday he regretted that the former Chilean dictator had not been brought to trial. "We haven't reached the ultimate stage yet, namely making Pinochet accountable for his atrocious crimes. But we were able to demonstrate that a dictator is no longer out of the reach of justice," he said.
"This was unthinkable just a few years ago. It already represents enormous progress in human rights."