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| Argentine junta pardons revoked | Argentine junta pardons revoked |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A judge in Argentina has paved the way for the trial of two of the most notorious figures of the military government in power from 1976 to 1983. | A judge in Argentina has paved the way for the trial of two of the most notorious figures of the military government in power from 1976 to 1983. |
| The judge ruled that pardons granted to them by a civilian government in the 1990s were unconstitutional. | The judge ruled that pardons granted to them by a civilian government in the 1990s were unconstitutional. |
| Former Economy Minister Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz and former Interior Minister Albano Harguindeguy can now be tried for kidnapping two businessmen. | Former Economy Minister Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz and former Interior Minister Albano Harguindeguy can now be tried for kidnapping two businessmen. |
| The decision is the latest in a series of recent breakthroughs. | The decision is the latest in a series of recent breakthroughs. |
| Kidnap and extortion | Kidnap and extortion |
| The battle for justice since the fall of the military government has been a long and arduous one. | The battle for justice since the fall of the military government has been a long and arduous one. |
| Now, Judge Norberto Oyarbide has ruled that the pardons granted to two leaders of that administration by the civilian government of Carlos Menem in the 1990s were unconstitutional. | Now, Judge Norberto Oyarbide has ruled that the pardons granted to two leaders of that administration by the civilian government of Carlos Menem in the 1990s were unconstitutional. |
| The ruling opens the way for Mr Martinez de Hoz and Mr Harguindeguy to be tried for the kidnap and extortion of two businessmen. | The ruling opens the way for Mr Martinez de Hoz and Mr Harguindeguy to be tried for the kidnap and extortion of two businessmen. |
| Federico Gutheim and his son Miguel Ernesto - who owned a textile industry - were held between November 1975 and April 1976, allegedly in an effort to force them to accept an export deal which was beneficial to the ministry of economy. | |
| When civilian rule returned to Argentina the two former ministers, along with many military officers, were tried and imprisoned for the kidnap, torture and killing of tens of thousands of people during their seven years in office. | When civilian rule returned to Argentina the two former ministers, along with many military officers, were tried and imprisoned for the kidnap, torture and killing of tens of thousands of people during their seven years in office. |
| But subsequent civilian governments passed laws which allowed the guilty men to walk free. | But subsequent civilian governments passed laws which allowed the guilty men to walk free. |
| Hated figure | Hated figure |
| Human rights groups and the families of the victims have never given up the fight for justice and have found an ally in the current president, Nestor Kirchner. | Human rights groups and the families of the victims have never given up the fight for justice and have found an ally in the current president, Nestor Kirchner. |
| Mr Martinez de Hoz is one of the most hated figures in Argentina, unable to walk the streets in safety and with regular protests outside his home. | Mr Martinez de Hoz is one of the most hated figures in Argentina, unable to walk the streets in safety and with regular protests outside his home. |
| He was a key figure in the military government, seen as responsible for implementing repressive economic measures that benefited the military and a small elite. | He was a key figure in the military government, seen as responsible for implementing repressive economic measures that benefited the military and a small elite. |
| Some of those actions will now be scrutinised and judged by an Argentine court. | Some of those actions will now be scrutinised and judged by an Argentine court. |