Some people make a second argument against prosecuting Pinochet; this one is based on the consequences that the prosecution would have. They have alleged that the case would generate instability in Chile, slowing or even risking its transition to democracy, and leaving that nation's citizens worse off.

These dire predictions have been proven wrong, largely because they misunderstand the relationship between justice and democracy. For the sizable percentage of Chile's population with relatives or friends who were victims of Pinochet's terror, his arrest had positive consequences. For these people, long overdue justice is starting to materialize, lending the idea of democracy a fuller meaning. Democracy has not only been made fuller for the victims and their families, but Pinochet's arrest has made the democratic transition more secure. According to a recent Washington Post article, the psychological effects of Pinochet's arrest in Chile have been profound. Political observers there suggest that they have led to reduced military influence, and renewed interest in a South African-style truth commission.

Perhaps the most important consequence of Pinochet's arrest is not a benefit that the Chilean people will receive now, but one that the citizens of some country, sometime in the future will receive. By demonstrating that nations will take seriously their obligation to prosecute genocidal and terrorist leaders, Spain and Britain have demonstrated to the world that such leaders will face prosecution and imprisonment. Perhaps this demonstration will make leaders think twice in the future before wiping out ethnic, religious or political groups that they dislike.

Justice for the victims of Pinochet's heinous crimes will not only make democracy fuller and more secure now, it also promotes democracy and human rights in other places and in future times. The countless people who suffered terribly at the hands of Pinochet deserve justice. So do all of us who have thus far been lucky enough to escape from the world's other Pinochets.

Micah S. Meyers '00 is a history concentrator in Dunster House. He is a former employee of Garcs y de Prada, a Spanish law firm that represents the plaintiffs in the case against Pinochet.