Italy's justice minister, Carlo Nordio, has ruled against the extradition of a former chaplain sought in Argentina on charges of murder and torture during the South American country's last military dictatorship, human rights advocates told The Associated Press Friday.
In October, Italy's top criminal court had approved the extradition of the Rev. Franco Reverberi, an 86-year-old Italian priest who had served as military chaplain during Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Reverberi, who has joint Argentinian and Italian citizenship, left Argentina in 2011 after trials against pro-junta figures began in Argentina, returning to his hometown near Parma, Italy. Since then, he has lived mostly undisturbed, where he continued to celebrate mass until recently. Nordio, however, ruled against extradition, citing the priest's advanced age and poor health. A copy of the ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, was made available by rights advocates who have followed the case.
"The Italian justice minister's move is in contrast to the judicial decisions against Reverberi," said Arturo Salerni, a lawyer who represented Argentina in the case. "Our last hope is that Reverberi can be prosecuted in Italy," The Guardian reported.
Jorge Ithurburu, president for 24 Marzo - an NGO based in Rome representing the relatives of victims of the Argentinian dictatorship - called for Reverberi to face trial in Italy.
"Impunity is not provided for by the law," said Ithurburu quoted by The Guardian. "We are already in contact with the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights in San Rafael, Argentina, which is ready to file a complaint with Italian authorities for Reverberi's crimes. If the priest is not extradited, then he should be prosecuted in Italy."
Following the 1976 coup, Argentina's military systematically obliterated any prospective opposition and ultimately, murdered around 30,000 people, almost all of them unarmed non-combatants. Pregnant prisoners were only kept alive long enough to give birth. According to The Guardian, it is believed that roughly 500 babies were given to childless military couples to raise as their own. So far 133 of these children born in captivity, now in their 40's, have been reunited with their biological families.
Rev. Franco Reverberi faces charges related to the alleged murder in 1976 of the 20-year-old political activist, José Guillermo Berón, and his alleged participation in torture. Like many of the criminals who were part of those regimes at the time, Reverberi fled to Italy, taking advantage of his Italian origins and dual nationality.
Reverberi continues to deny any wrongdoing and has not been convicted by the courts or excommunicated by the Vatican.
