Mario Sandoval (Argentine police officer)

Mario Sandoval was an Argentinian police officer and academic who is considered to be one of the most brutal torturers during the Argentine dictatorship of 1976-1983.[1]

For the footballer, see Mario Sandoval.

Biography

Sandoval fled to France after the military junta fell and lived in France since 1985. In 1997 he was granted the citizenship of France. He had been an academic in Paris, teaching at the Sorbonne's Institute for Latin American Studies as an external lecturer between 1999 and 2005,[2] and also lectured at the University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée.[1] In December 2019, he was extradited by France to stand trial in Argentina.

Prosecutors in Argentina based their extradition request on the case of student Hernán Abriata, who disappeared in 1976. The extradition was possible because the crimes he was accused of were committed before obtaining the French citizenship. He is also accused of involvement in 500 other cases.[1] According to the New York Times, "Mr. Abriata was one of about 5,000 people who disappeared at the Higher School of Mechanics of the Navy, or ESMA".[3]

The news of his extradition from France to Argentina was welcomed by Argentine human rights activists and relatives of victims of the dictatorship.[3]

Sandoval was nicknamed Churrasco (Barbecue), due to his preferred method of torture being to electrocute people on metal bed frames.[2]

References
  1. "France expels Argentine ex-officer in torture case". 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  2. Jones, Sam (2019-12-16). "Suspected Argentinian torturer who taught at Sorbonne extradited by France". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  3. Peltier, Elian; Politi, Daniel (2019-12-15). "France Extradites Argentine Man Suspected of Torture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
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