Sweden requested the extradition of Alfredo Astiz

The Swedish ambassador presented/displayed the formal reclamation to the Argentine government, thus to judge to the ex- sailor accused by the disappearance in 1977 of the young person Dagmar Hagelin

The government of Sweden today presented/displayed to the Argentine State the formal order of extradition of the ex- sailor Alfredo Astiz, by the disappearance of the Swedish young person Dagmar Hagelin, fact happened in 1977.

Astiz, known as the "Angel of the death" by the resistance between its physical aspect and the atrocities that presumably committed during the last Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983), is lengthy from the last days of December at the request of Sweden.

The Swedish ambassador, Madeleine Stroje-Wilkens, gave the request of extradition today to the Argentine vice-minister of Outer Relations, Jorge Faurie.

Sweden "hopes that justice becomes and that the new government of Eduardo Duhalde takes the measures necessary to consolidate the judicial system and to solve the pending causes", indicated the embassy in a spread official notice late this.

Nevertheless, the Swedish pretension runs into with the announcement of the Government of which in the subject of the requests of extradition by violations of human rights during the military dictatorship, it is going to maintain the same position to deny them like principle which they had presidents Fernando of the Rúa and Carlos Menem.

The minister of Outer Relations, Carlos Ruckauf, had made the announcement yesterday, in a meeting with foreign correspondents.

During the short mandate of Adolph Rodriguez Saá, who resigned after remaining seven days in the position, from the 23 to the 30 of December passed, the minister of Justice, Alberto Zuppi, had decided that outside the Justice that decided in each case.

Astiz is demanded by Sweden by the case of Dagmar Hagelin, who disappeared after being kidnapped by a group of tasks in January of 1977.

The ex- sailor was condemned in absence to life imprisonment in France by the kidnapping and disappearance of the nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, and the last year was also demanded by Italy by the disappearance of three citizens of that country, but the request was denied.

The successive Argentine governments have invoked the principles of "territorialidad" and "judged thing" to justify their position of not granting extraditions by violations of human rights.

During the Argentine dictatorship 15,000 people disappeared, according to reviewed official numbers to the rise in 2001.

Source: EFE