Spain asked Argentina today to extradite 18 people to face possible charges ranging from kidnapping to genocide during the so-called Dirty War of Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship.
"We can confirm that Argentina has been asked to extradite 18 people on behalf of (Judge Baltazar) Garzon," a Spanish Foreign Office spokesman said.
In September, a Federal Judge in Buenos Aires ordered the arrest of 12 former military men and six civilians to await an extradition request from Judge Garzon. Eleven were arrested but were released 10 days later when the request failed to arrive.
Judge Garzon, who is investigating the disappearance of Spanish citizens during the Argentine dictatorship, is best known for his unsuccessful attempt to arrest former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet on torture and other charges.