Britain rejected former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's plea to be set free, ruling Wednesday that Spain can start extradition proceedings on charges of genocide, torture and kidnapping by his security forces.

The decision means that the 83-year old Pinochet, under armed guard at a mansion outside London, now faces months and possibly years of battles through British courts fighting extradition."I find an authority to proceed in respect of Senator Pinochet today. The Spanish request for his extradition will now be considered by the courts," Home Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement.

Pinochet's lawyers have said they may seek an urgent review before a judge, arguing that Straw would be wrong on legal points to let Spain have the general.

Straw had agonized over the decision since Britain's highest court, the House of Lords, said in a 3-2 ruling Nov. 25 that Pinochet has no immunity from arrest under English law.

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Pinochet, a regular visitor to Britain, was arrested Oct. 16 on a Spanish warrant seeking his extradition on charges of genocide, kidnapping and torture during his 17-year rule. He overthrew an elected Marxist, Salvador Allende, in a 1973 coup.

A Chilean government report says 3,197 people were murdered or disappeared at the hands of Pinochet's secret police. Opponents say the number is far higher.

Chilean President Eduardo Frei had no immediate comment about Straw's decision, his spokesman said in Brazil, where the leader was attending a trade summit. Chilean officials have traveled to Britain and Spain to press for Pinochet's freedom.

Straw's decision delighted human rights groups, victims of the Pinochet years and most rank-and-file legislators in Britain's govering Labor Party.

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