Letter: Witness to tyranny

Sir: I am a Chilean refugee and a British citizen since 1993. Since Pinochet was arrested I have experienced a range of emotions: sadness, jubilation, astonishment, homesickness, and impotence. I realised I have suppressed all these feelings for a long time, and I have revived the pain and injustice I suffered when I was expecting my first son.

In May 1975, I was arrested following the arrest of my husband (then, my boyfriend). I was three months pregnant. I was blind folded and taken to a secret detention camp. We got married in Tres Alamos, a detention camp, on 26 June 1975. Of course we didn't have a celebration. Another young political detainee, who also acted as a witness at our wedding, gave a box of chocolate as a present. In a cold and damp room, we held hands very tightly. I cannot remember what we said to each other. My emotions have become uncontrollable and I have silently started to cry once again.

As my son put it to me on Sunday, I only have two wishes: "A white Christmas and Pinochet to be extradited to Spain."

PATRICIA JELIC

Wolverhampton, West Midlands