Suggests Britain Try

Pinochet

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations

Committee Against Torture recommended

Thursday that Britain look at putting former

Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on trial

itself if he is not extradited to Spain.

It added that, if this option was not at least

considered, Britain could be in violation of

international treaties.

The committee, made up of 10 independent

legal experts who monitor compliance with

the 1987 international convention against

torture, issued its recommendation after

considering a report presented by the

British government.

It said the case of Pinochet, 82, who has

been held in London since October 16 on a

warrant from Spain over deaths and torture

in Chile of more than 3,000 people during

his 17-year rule which ended in 1990,

should be referred to Britain's public

prosecutor.

This should be done ``with a view to

examining the feasibility of, and if

appropriate initiating, criminal proceedings

in England in the event that a decision is

made not to extradite him,'' the committee

said.

A panel of British law lords, the highest

court in the land, is due to make a ruling

next Wednesday on an appeal against a

finding by the High Court in London that

Pinochet had immunity from arrest for

offences committed while he was Chile's

president.

If the law lords uphold the finding, he is

expected to be allowed to go free and return

to Chile.

But, if the original ruling is overturned,

British Home Secretary (interior minister)

Jack Straw will then have to decide whether

to meet the Spanish request and send

Pinochet to Madrid.

The U.N. committee said that, if it was

decided not to extradite him, Britain would

be meeting its obligations under the

anti-torture pact and the Vienna Convention

on the Law of Treaties by referring the case

to its own public prosecutor.

Several other European countries, including

France, Switzerland and Sweden, have

presented, or are preparing, extradition

requests against Pinochet on grounds

similar to those cited by Spain.

Reut08:58 11-19-98