VZCZCXRO0791
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0484 1201357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291357Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4693
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0379
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 3408

UNCLAS MADRID 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH COURT DECIDES NOT TO EXTRADITE "ISABELITA" 
PERON TO ARGENTINA 
 
¶1. (U) Local press is reporting that the Second Section of 
the Spanish National Court decided on April 28 to deny the 
request of Argentine authorities to extradite former 
Argentine President (1974-1976) Maria Estela Martinez, known 
as "Isabelita" Peron.  The 77-year-old former President was 
wanted for her alleged role in the disappearance of two 
individuals in February 1976 and her alleged ties to the 
"Triple A," the Anti-Communist Alliance of Argentina believed 
to have committed numerous murders and abductions during the 
beginning stages of Argentina's so-called "Dirty War."  The 
National Court found that the alleged crimes of which she was 
accused (illegal detention and illicit association) did not 
rise to the level of "crimes against humanity" as argued by 
two Argentine judges, and did not warrant the third reopening 
of a case that had already been closed in 1981 and again in 
¶1989. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) COMMENT.  The Court's ruling may leave it open to 
criticism for apparent double standards, as Spanish courts 
have made a great deal of news in recent years pursuing 
extraditions in connection with notorious human rights cases 
in other countries (e.g. Chile, Guatemala, Argentina and 
Rwanda). 
Llorens