Pinochet Arrested in London on Spanish Warrant — Legal Drama Begins

Former dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested at a London clinic by British police acting on a Spanish arrest warrant from Judge Baltasar Garzón, charging him with torture and conspiracy to murder Spanish citizens in Chile. The 83-year-old Pinochet claims diplomatic immunity and ill health. The case tests whether former heads of state can be prosecuted for crimes against humanity in third countries under universal jurisdiction. After 503 days under house arrest, Britain releases him on medical grounds in March 2000.