London - Lawyers for the Chilean government yesterday joined the case for Gen Augusto Pinochet's defence, arguing that although the alleged crimes against him were serious, any trial should be in his homeland.
Santiago insists it has sovereignty over Gen Pinochet, who faces the threat of extradition to Spain on charges of murder, hostage-taking and torture during his 1973-1990 dictatorship. However, the government has taken pains to distance itself from the human rights abuses it acknowledges occurred during the Pinochet regime.