Former Transavia pilot Julio Poch wants to be tried in the Netherlands.

Broadsheet De Telegraaf writes that his lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops has submitted a request to Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal. Mr Poch is currently being held in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on charges of being involved in the disappearances of 29 opponents of Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976-1983).

He was allegedly involved in the so-called death flights, in which thousands of the junta’s opponents were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean alive. The examining magistrate believes Poch is responsible for 615 disappearances.

Julio Poch was arrested in Spain in September 2009 shortly before he was due to take off on his last flight for Dutch charter company Transavia before retiring.

Mr Knoops says that in Argentina Poch would have to wait years before his trial starts. However, unnamed sources say he is actually stalling for time.

(gsh/hs)

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