wfn.org | Bring Charges Against Pinochet, NCC General Secretary Demands

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National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
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20NCC3/7/2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BRING CHARGES AGAINST PINOCHET, NCC GENERAL SECRETARY DEMANDS

March 7, 2000, NEW YORK CITY - National Council of Churches General
Secretary Dr. Bob Edgar today joined other ecumenical and human rights
groups demanding that charges be brought against Chilean General Augusto
Pinochet of crimes against humanity.

The full text of his statement follows.

Statement on General Pinochet's Return to Chile
by
The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

March 7, 2000

The future of former Chilean President General Augusto Pinochet, who
returned to his homeland on March 2nd following his release from 16 months
of house arrest in London, is of urgent concern to churches and human rights
organizations throughout the world. The National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the USA joins the World Council of Churches, Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch and others in demanding that charges
brought against General Pinochet of crimes against humanity continue to be
vigorously pursued.

A popular judgment has already been rendered by thousands of Chileans
affected by over 2,000 political executions and tens of thousands of
tortures and disappearances under General Pinochet's rule. There is mounting
pressure in Chile and in the international community to move forward with
legal proceedings against Pinochet. A statement by the World Council of
Churches on the eve of General Pinochet's departure for Chile speaks for the
ecumenical community:

We are grateful to the governments of the UK, Spain, Switzerland, France
and Belgium for their efforts to achieve justice in the case of General
Pinochet. In the process, an extremely important new precedent has been
set - no dictator again feels that he can move with impunity. The
supporters of Pinochet have agreed that this matter is now over. But at the
World Council of Churches, we do not believe that the case of General
Pinochet is over, and it will not be over until the full truth is told and
heard - about the abuses committed during his regime - in a way that
satisfies his victims and the families of his victims. It is our sincere
hope the Chilean government will hold to the commitments it gave in its
legal arguments in seeking General Pinochet's release, and will bring
charges against him in the appropriate Chilean courts.

For one of the first time in history, gross human rights are being
prosecuted, under international law and across national lines. An
international case against General Pinochet is already underway. The
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, along with the World
Council of Churches, urges President Frei and President-elect Lagos to carry
out their promise to prosecute General Pinochet's case in accordance
domestic criminal law and with international law dealing with crimes against
humanity, so that the cause of justice for the victims of the Pinochet
regime and their families can be fully served.

-end-