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Morning News

Clock Running Out to Challenge Pinochet Extradition From England

Aired January 18, 2000 - 10:19 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In London, England, the clock is running out for any formal challenges to a ruling that would allow former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to escape trial on charges of torture. The ruling is centered on a medical report that suggests that Pinochet is too ill to stand trial.

CNN London bureau chief Tom Mintier now live with the latest on this story -- Tom.

TOM MINTIER, CNN LONDON BUREAU CHIEF: Bill, the government of Chile apparently is feeling confident that General Pinochet will be released. They have asked the British Government and received permission for a plane to be dispatched to London that would carry General Pinochet back home.

But a formal protest has been filed by Amnesty International to the possibility and probability that Home Secretary Jack Straw would release General Pinochet from any further extradition hearings. That protest was delivered at the home secretary's office today by a large group of demonstrators in downtown London.

Now, Jack Straw said that, until 5:00 local time today, he would await any protest to be filed formerly. One has been filed by Amnesty International.

Several hundreds demonstrators voiced their opposition on the streets of London today to the probability that General Pinochet would be released. They have not gathered outside General Pinochet's home as they had previously, but down in West Minister in the center of London. They have gathered there for most of the day. Any time this case has come before the courts, the protesters have come out of the woodwork and have been very, very vocal.

Now, the reason for all of this coming forward is that the home secretary, earlier this week, had a medical report issued by four physicians who concluded that General Pinochet was not fit to stand trial, that he would not be able to understand the charges and the proceedings against him. Based on that medical evidence of four doctor who examined General Pinochet, Jack Straw said that he was minded not to move forward with the extradition but to release him on humanitarian grounds and allow him to return back to Chile.

But the government of Spain is also standing in the wings asking that other doctors of their liking be allowed to examine General Pinochet and file their own medical report. So we'll have to wait and see.

Right now, the medical report that was done by those four physicians has been sealed and has not been made public, so it's been difficult for anyone to mount a protest not knowing what the evidence was used to consider him unfit to stand trial.

So the next 24-48 hours may be critical. It may be during that time that Home Secretary Jack Straw makes a decision whether to keep General Pinochet in Britain or to allow him to go home.

I'm Tom Mintier, CNN, reporting live from Wentworth.

HEMMER: Tom, while we have you here, let's talk about one more legal angle on this. Is it possible, if Pinochet does return to Chile, could he be, possibly, arrested, say, when he lands in his home country?

MINTIER: Well, it's quite possible, Bill, he could be arrested before he even gets back to Santiago. The plane that will carry him from London to Santiago will have to stop somewhere for refueling. And there is the possibility that a government, wherever he stops over for refueling, could board that aircraft and arrest him. It's quite possible, when he does land, that he will be arrested because there are pending charges in Chile against him. But there is some concern by the military crew that will take him back as to where they choose to refuel the aircraft on the ground and who might be waiting.

HEMMER: Tom Mintier, live from the very latest in Wentworth, England. We'll track it.

Tom, thank you.

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