Rights groups appeal cut-off of Pinochet crimes investigations

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Rights groups appeal cut-off of Pinochet crimes investigations

April 15, 2005 04:15:00 pm

[JURIST] In an urgent appeal at a press conference in Santiago Friday, a coalition of leading human rights groups urged the Chilean Supreme Court to reconsider its January 25 decision to shut down unconcluded investigations of human rights violations [JURIST report] that occurred under former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet [JURIST news archive]. The January ruling had set a six-month deadline expiring at the end of June. Representatives of Human Rights Watch [official website], Amnesty International [official website], the International Commission of Jurists [official website] and other groups insisted that the termination of the mandate of special judges investigating human rights violations would constitute the most serious injustice since Chile's return to democracy in 1990. There are currently more than 350 cases still awaiting investigation. Reuters has more.

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