A judge ordered dozens of Argentinians released from jail overnight after Spain declined to seek the extradition of 40 suspects sought for alleged crimes during the country's "dirty war."
Federal Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral had ordered the arrest of 39 former military officers and one civilian in July in connection with a Spanish judge's extradition attempt arising from allegations against the 1976-83 ruling military junta.
But Judge Corral said that he was ordering all those not being held in other court cases to be released in response to Spain's decision late last week that it would not attempt their extradition.
"I've ordered all those affected to be released save those who are facing inquiries or prosecution by other judges," he said.
Former junta leaders Jorge Videla and Emilio Massera, among others, were expected to remain in custody because of ongoing judicial inquiries involving accusations of illegal adoptions of children born to women detained during the 1976-83 dictatorship.
Some 9,000 people are officially reported as dead or missing from the seven-year dictatorship that triggered a violent crackdown by state security agents on political opposition. Human rights groups said as many as 30,000 people perished under military rule.
Spain's government decided Friday not to seek the extradition of 40 Argentineans indicted there, saying they should be tried at home.
Yesterday, a federal court in Buenos Aires took the first step in that direction by ordering investigations reopened into the operations of what prosecutors described as two notorious torture centres in the city during the dictatorship.
AP