Seán Ryan
Ceist:15 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the extradition proceedings being taken against General Agusto Pinochet. [4372/99]
Written Answers. - Extradition Proceedings.
As I indicated in my reply of 18 December last, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the case of General Pinochet which is now before the British courts.
Without intervening in this particular case, let me say that it is my belief that abuses of human rights anywhere are of concern to the entire inter national community. I believe that the perpetrators of all human rights abuses should be brought to justice in accordance with law. Throughout the years of the Pinochet dictatorship, Ireland strongly condemned the violations of human rights carried out by the regime, and as a practical expression of our sympathy for the victims we welcomed Chilean refugees into Ireland.
In relation to the prosecution of those accused of human rights abuses, the international community took an important step forward on 17 July last, with the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The statute makes clear that official capacity and immunities shall not be a bar to the exercise of the courts jurisdiction. Ireland was one of the first signatories of the statute. The Government is committed to making our contribution towards bringing the court into being by taking appropriate action at national level to ratify the statute.