Italy’s justice minister has approved extraditing an Italian priest sought by Argentina on charges of murder and torture during that country’s last military dictatorship, but the priest has an appeal in Italian courts seeking to block extradition, a lawyer and rights groups said Thursday.
Attorney Arturo Salerni, who represents Argentina, told The Associated Press that Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on Wednesday signed off on the request to extradite the Rev. Franco Reverberi, an 85-year-old priest who served as military chaplain during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
Reverberi, who holds Italian citizenship, is sought for trial in Argentina for charges including the 1976 slaying of 22-year-old José Guillermo Berón and the torture of several other men, Salerni said.
Reverberi left Argentina in 2011 after the first trial for crimes against humanity carried out during the dictatorship took place in the western Mendoza province and “the testimonies of survivors and family members began to point to his responsibility,” according to Argentina’s government.
Human rights activists say as many as 30,000 people were killed or disappeared during Argentina’s military dictatorship.
The decision by Italy’s justice ministry “reflects a shared vision by both countries regarding crimes against humanity and a joint commitment to fighting against impunity. Moreover, it sets an important precedent for the bilateral relationship in terms of commitment to memory, truth, and justice,” the Argentine Embassy said.
Read more here.
