Soldiers recall Falklands torture and murder
‘Dirty War’ suspect to stand trial for murder
First priest jailed over Argentina's 'Dirty War'
Mr Poch, a former lieutenant, is said to have worked as a pilot attached to the notorious Naval Mechanics School in Argentina, where prisoners were tortured and murdered.
The pilot, who works for the Dutch airline transavia.com, was detained in front of passengers minutes before his Amsterdam-bound flight was about to take-off from Manises airport in Valencia, eastern Spain, yesterday.
He was detained at the request of the Argentine Government by officers from Spain’s elite Fugitive Squad, which tracks down Nazi war criminals and Mafia bosses. Mr Poch holds joint Dutch and Argentine nationality.
Spanish police confirmed through Interpol that Mr Poch had Dutch nationality and worked as a pilot with Transavia, often captaining flights between Schipol airport in Amsterdam and Valencia.
Mr Poch is in custody in Spain but is expected to face extradition proceedings to Argentina later this week.
In 2005, Adolfo Scilingo, 62, a retired Argentine naval officer, was jailed for 640 years by a Spanish court for crimes against humanity, including extra-judicial execution.
He was convicted of 30 counts of murder relating to prisoners being pushed out of jets during the Dirty War.
Transavia, a low-cost airline owned by Air France-KLM, is to review its checks on staff after the arrest of Mr Poch.
Anita Sunter, a Transavia spokesman, said: “We are waiting to be informed of the charges."
According to official government figures, more than 11,000 people died or disappeared between 1976 to 1983.
However, human rights groups have put the number of those who were "disappeared" at closer to 30,000.
In 2005, Argentina's Supreme Court annulled two amnesty laws that had shielded hundreds of former officers from charges of human rights abuses during the dictatorship.
The courts have handed down a number of heavy prison sentences to members of the security forces who have been convicted of kidnapping, torturing and killing dissidents.
Bron:
www.timesonline.co.uk
640 jaar ! ! ! Terecht uiteraard voor de persoon in kwestie.