Memory and Justice Beyond Borders:A research seminar to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the detention

of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London With

Alison Ribeiro de Menezes (University of Warwick) &

Verónica Díaz-Cerda (Aston University)

'Pinochet's Detention in London Twenty Years On: Some Implications for Memory and Justice'Alison Ribeiro de MenezesProfessor of Hispanic Studies, University of Warwick

The detention of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London in October 1998, at the instigation of Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón, is regarded as a watershed moment for Transitional Justice globally, standing as a point of reference with regard to Human Rights concerns and the legal importance of universal jurisdiction. However, Pinochet's arrest meant different things to different groups, from Chileans exiled in the UK as a result of the 1973 coup d'état which brought Pinochet to power, to Chileans at home wary of destabilising a fragile democracy, to Spaniards wondering about their own country's lack of attention to the crimes of dictatorship. This presentation examines some of the implications of Pinochet's detention, drawing on recent interviews with Chileans exiled to the UK, as well as exploring its role in fomenting a critical view of memory and democracy in Spain, Garzón's native land. 

The Pinochet effect: what are the prospects for international justice?Verónica Díaz-CerdaTeaching Associate, Aston Business School, Aston University

The arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998 was described as a “wake-up call” to tyrants around the world and represented a dramatic challenge to the cornerstone of international law and international relations. It set two important precedents: the application of the principle of universal jurisdiction (in which

The Pinochet effect: what are the prospects for international justice?Verónica Díaz-CerdaTeaching Associate, Aston Business School, Aston University

The arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998 was described as a “wake-up call” to tyrants around the world and represented a dramatic challenge to the cornerstone of international law and international relations. It set two important precedents: the application of the principle of universal jurisdiction (in which