Buenos Aires - Argentina's interior minister during the military dictatorship of 1976 to 1983 was arrested Tuesday on charges of kidnapping and extortion during his time in office. General Albano Harguindeguy, known as the "butcher" for bloody reprisals against dissidents, now stands charged with ordering security forces to kidnap businessman Federico y Miguel Gutheim, who operated a textile factory, to force him into a business deal.
Gutheim was set free a year later.
Harguindeguy has already served time for this crime between April 1988 and October 1989, but was pardoned by then-president Carlos Menem.
As interior minister, Harguindeguy likely also played a key role in the state-organized terrorism blamed for up to 30,000 political murders.
Menem's pardon applied to all crimes committed during the dictatorship, but under Kirchner, justice officials started reopening the investigations.
Human rights groups were relieved at his arrest.
"It was high time that they got this person, whom we knew as the 'butcher'," said Nora Cortinas of the "Mothers of May Plaza Movement," who want to clarify the fate of victims and are fighting that justice be brought for crimes against humanity.
