Torture Ship's Visit Cancelled

The Chilean navy has cancelled trips to Britain and Spain by the Esmeralda, a training ship once used for torturing political prisoners by General Augusto Pinochet's regime, for fear of protests and legal action.

The vessel cancelled visits to Dartmouth and London earlier this month after claiming an accident in the German port of Lübeck had prevented it from travelling.

Amnesty International had been planning protests at its presence in British waters.

Chilean navy officials gave the same reason for not travelling to the Spanish port of Ferrol and to the island of Tenerife. But yesterday the Chilean defence minister, Michelle Bachelet, said the reason was the fear that Spanish courts may grant magistrate Baltasar Garzon permission to investigate the ship as part of his case against Gen Pinochet.

Judge Garzon had been informed of the vessel's planned trip by Patricia Bennets, sister of a British priest, Father Michael Woodward, who died after being tortured on the vessel.

The Chilean navy has always denied the Esmeralda was used for torture.