Australian Court Clears Pinochet-Era Nanny Adriana Rivas For Extradition

Adriana Rivas has lost her final legal bid to avoid extradition to Chile.

“In short: Adriana Elcira Rivas has been in a seven-year legal battle to avoid extradition over claims she was involved in acts of kidnapping and torture for the Chilean Pinochet regime”

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Federal Court dismissed her arguments that the charges were mischaracterized crimes against humanity.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Rivas was the personal secretary to secret police chief Manuel Contreras.

She has resisted extradition for seven years and was arrested at Chile's request in 2019.

Rivas is accused of participating in the disappearance of seven people including a woman who was five months pregnant.

She denies the allegations and claimed extradition should be blocked because of crimes against humanity.

BBC

The ambassador and consul general of Chile sat in the public gallery as the decision was handed down.

More than 40,000 were politically persecuted under Pinochet, with some 3,000 killed.

Rivas served as Contreras's personal secretary from 1973 to 1976.

She is alleged to have become an active agent for the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA).

The DINA abducted, tortured, killed and forcibly disappeared thousands of people.

The broader Chilean quest for justice has lasted more than 40 years.