Human Rights Watch letter in regard to the measures government is currently considering to expedite judicial investigations into the grave human rights violations committed under military rule, and to provide further means of reparation and compensation to relatives of the victims.

Human Rights Watch was granted permission by the House of Lords to intervene in both sets of proceedings before it relating to General Pinochet. On 16 November 1998, we wrote to you to urge that you take the principled actions necessary to ensure that General Pinochet was extradited to Spain. At that time, we suggested that the reasonable exercise of your discretion under the Extradition Act required that you take into account the gravity of General Pinochet's offenses, the impunity which General Pinochet would continue to enjoy on returning to Chile, and the United Kingdom's obligations under international law.

Human Rights Watch writes concerning the requested extradition of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

In a letter today to Spain's Prime Minister José María Aznar López, Human Rights Watch urged the Spanish government to take all necessary steps to ensure that legal proceedings against General Augusto Pinochet move forward.

Human Rights Watch urges the United States to help promote judicial accountability for the crimes committed during the military rule of Augusto Pinochet. We look to the United States to indicate clearly and publicly to the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom that it supports efforts to achieve justice for crimes against humanity committed under the direction of General Pinochet.