A 72-year-old Chilean woman suspected of having kidnapped and tortured dissidents during the military rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet has lost her lengthy legal battle against being extradited from Australia.
Adriana Rivas moved to Australia in 1978, where she worked as a nanny and a cleaner in the Sydney’s Bondi suburb.
Chile requested her extradition 12 years ago, alleging that before she emigrated to Australia she had been involved in the disappearance of seven people, which she denies.
More than 40,000 people were politically persecuted and some 3,000 were killed during the Pinochet era, which lasted from 1973 to 1990.
Rivas was first arrested during a visit to her home country in 2006 but returned to Australia while on bail.
Chile filed an extradition request in 2014 and, on Monday, a federal judge dismissed her lawyers’ arguments that the request was legally flawed.
Rivas could try to appeal against the decision at the full federal court, Australian media reports, but it is unclear whether the grounds for such an appeal would be met.
A lawyer representing the relatives of the victims of the Pinochet regime said the families were “truly, truly delighted” by Monday’s ruling.
Barring another appeal, Rivas will be sent back to her home country to stand trial on charges of aggravated kidnapping.
Rivas was the personal secretary for Chile’s infamous secret police chief Manuel Contreras from 1973 to 1976. Rights activists have long alleged that she was personally involved in the kidnapping and torture of dissidents.
Credit: bbc.com
