Leading Article: Law must decide Pinochet's fate

THE LONGER General Pinochet continues to be under arrest in his London hospital bed, the more acute is Britain's diplomatic dilemma, torn between the demands of Chile and Spain. Now that the Government has allowed a Chilean air force plane, ready at a moment's notice to take General Pinochet back to Chile, a possible escape route presents itself. Is Jack Straw, in his role as a "quasi-judicial authority", about to end the Government's discomfort and release the General on humanitarian grounds? The resolution to Britain's embarrassment hangs temptingly before ministers.

That temptation ought to be resisted. For one thing, it should be left to the due process of law to decide whether Pinochet is able to stand trial; any decision the outside world sees as political would bring down the ire of one side or the other in this tug-of-war. For another, we should not let pressure exerted by foreign regimes weaken our policy. Who wants the world to see Britain as a soft touch, a haven for anyone who wants to evade justice?

Extraditing someone to a country where they have committed no crime would be breaking new legal ground. But so would refusing to do so. We have allowed ourselves to be caught in a diplomatic tangle. But we could have acted in no other way; others guilty of deeds like Pinochet's may escape our net, but no extradition warrants are outstanding against them. We must keep our nerve, leave our courts to their work, and resist the temptation to wash our hands of this matter. Pinochet's victims have a right to expect that; and, if only for our own self-respect, Britain deserves no worse of its Government.