Greatreporter

"Sitting next to the fireplace with an attitude of confident and innocent expectation, the Colonel experienced the feeling that fungus and poisoned lilies were taking root in his gut. It was October. A difficult morning to get through, even for a man like himself…"

The High Court's decision last Wednesday to grant General Augusto Pinochet diplomatic immunity on charges of genocide and torture drew responses of "betrayed by Britiain" from disbelieving crowds of Chilean exiles.

The news focus on Chile concerning the detainment of General Pinochet in London has until now paid no attention to the fate of the British defence journalist Jonathan Moyle, who was found hanged in his Santiago hotel room on April 1 1990.

"The UN official only left the plane at Santiago airport moments before the door closed. We never felt safe. Even when our plane landed in Rio we were very scared as people had been abducted there in the past and disappeared."

A summit of Chile's security forces chiefs have met in Santiago to discuss their former commander's continuing detainment in London.

Britain's record on responding to other countries' requests to hand over human rights abusers is blemished by the case of Alfredo Astiz of the Argentinean army.

The foreign office has advised Britons on holiday or residing in Chile to keep a low profile and avoid areas of political activity and prominent public places, whilst General Pinochet remains under arrest in London.

The House of Lords will today adjudicate on the Crown Prosecution Service's appeal against its ruling last week that General Pinochet is immune from prosecution as a former head of state.

Rodrigo Sanchez came to England in the spring of 1976 to study Spanish at Southampton University. Having escaped General Augusto Pinochet's brutal regime, he was lucky to be alive.

The ongoing picket outside the London Harley Street Clinic - where General Pinochet remains under armed detention - climaxed on Saturday when 400 protestors gathered in support of his extradition to Spain to face charges of murder and torture.