Cablegate: Spanish Court Decides Not to Extradite "Isabelita"

VZCZCXRO0791
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0484 1201357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291357Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4693
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0379
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 3408

UNCLAS MADRID 000484

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH COURT DECIDES NOT TO EXTRADITE "ISABELITA"
PERON TO ARGENTINA

1. (U) Local press is reporting that the Second Section of
the Spanish National Court decided on April 28 to deny the
request of Argentine authorities to extradite former
Argentine President (1974-1976) Maria Estela Martinez, known
as "Isabelita" Peron. The 77-year-old former President was
wanted for her alleged role in the disappearance of two
individuals in February 1976 and her alleged ties to the
"Triple A," the Anti-Communist Alliance of Argentina believed
to have committed numerous murders and abductions during the
beginning stages of Argentina's so-called "Dirty War." The
National Court found that the alleged crimes of which she was
accused (illegal detention and illicit association) did not
rise to the level of "crimes against humanity" as argued by
two Argentine judges, and did not warrant the third reopening
of a case that had already been closed in 1981 and again in
1989.

2. (SBU) COMMENT. The Court's ruling may leave it open to
criticism for apparent double standards, as Spanish courts
have made a great deal of news in recent years pursuing
extraditions in connection with notorious human rights cases
in other countries (e.g. Chile, Guatemala, Argentina and
Rwanda).
Llorens

© Scoop Media