Chile refuses to extradite 10 former militaries to France

A Chilean judge on Monday refused to extradite 10 former militaries convicted in absentia in France of the disappearance of four French citizens in the 1970s. "The Chilean courts are responsible of hearing and prosecuting the crimes for which the extradition is being requested, because these felonies were committed beginning from Sept. 11, 1973 within our country's territory," Supreme Court judge Rosa Maria Maggi said in a ruling. The verdict said "the investigation of the violation of the fundamental rights of four French citizens is a task of the Chilean tribunals." "Currently, in Chile there are multiple procedures addressed towards establishing responsibility of the violations of fundamental rights," Maggi said. The 10 retired officers for whom extradition was requested were sentenced in France France requested the extradition of the 10 retired Chilean militaries who were sentenced by the Criminal Court of Paris to prison terms ranging from 15 years to life for the kidnapping and disappearance of the four French citizens, who disappeared between 1973 and 1975.