- Poster of disappeared people during the dirty war; Source: Wikimedia Commons
The “Due Obedience“ and “Clean Slate“ Acts of 1987 made it impossible to pursue the judicial proceedings to deal with the violations during the “dirty war”. These amnesties were only declared unconstitutional in 2003 which allowed the persecution of crimes during the “dirty war”. It is estimated that 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and killed during the seven years of military rule.
Survivors of the “El Vesubio” prison said that only very few came out alive. The case of Gamen and Pascarelli was of particular interest to Germany because one of their victims was Elisabeth Käsemann, a German sociologist working in Argentina at the time. The Helmut Schmidt-led Social Democrat Government was criticised for not asking the Argentinean authorities for extradition of the two military officers. Only in 2003, Germany issued arrest warrants and sent lawyers as co-plaintiffs to the trial which started last year.
BBC News: Argentina Dirty War army officers sentenced to life
Argentina jails 'dirty war' officers accused over killing of German girl
