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 extradition from Australia.
Adriana Rivas moved to Australia in 1978, where she worked as a nanny and cleaner in Sydney's Bondi suburb. Chile requested her extradition 12 years ago, alleging that before she emigrated, she was involved in the disappearances of seven people, which she denies.
More than 40,000 people were politically persecuted, and around 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 recently a federal judge dismissed her lawyers' arguments against the request.
Rivas could attempt to appeal the decision at the full federal court, but it remains unclear if she can meet the necessary grounds. A lawyer representing the families of the victims expressed delight at the ruling, emphasizing the importance of accountability for past crimes.
If no further appeals are successful, Rivas will be extradited to face charges of aggravated kidnapping in Chile, including her alleged involvement in the 1976 forced disappearance of Víctor Díaz and six other Communist Party members, all assumed to be dead. Rivas has been accused of participating actively in the repression executed by the National Intelligence Directorate (Dina), the secret police of Pinochet's regime. She has denied wrongdoing, referring to her time with the agency as the best of my life and justifying harsh interrogation methods as necessities of state security. Witnesses claim she was among the most brutal torturers in the agency, a label she rejects.
Adriana Rivas moved to Australia in 1978, where she worked as a nanny and cleaner in Sydney's Bondi suburb. Chile requested her extradition 12 years ago, alleging that before she emigrated, she was involved in the disappearances of seven people, which she denies.
More than 40,000 people were politically persecuted, and around 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 recently a federal judge dismissed her lawyers' arguments against the request.
Rivas could attempt to appeal the decision at the full federal court, but it remains unclear if she can meet the necessary grounds. A lawyer representing the families of the victims expressed delight at the ruling, emphasizing the importance of accountability for past crimes.
If no further appeals are successful, Rivas will be extradited to face charges of aggravated kidnapping in Chile, including her alleged involvement in the 1976 forced disappearance of Víctor Díaz and six other Communist Party members, all assumed to be dead. Rivas has been accused of participating actively in the repression executed by the National Intelligence Directorate (Dina), the secret police of Pinochet's regime. She has denied wrongdoing, referring to her time with the agency as the best of my life and justifying harsh interrogation methods as necessities of state security. Witnesses claim she was among the most brutal torturers in the agency, a label she rejects.
