Former pilot Julio Poch detained at least another year

Former Transavia pilot Julio Poch will remain imprisoned in Argentina for at least another year. The judges in Buenos Aires recently extended his preliminary imprisonment, announced his lawyer Geert Jan Knoops Tuesday.Poch is on trial in Argentina for his alleged role in the so-called death flights. Opponents of the Argentinian military dictatorship (1976-1983) were thrown from aircraft into the sea.

The former pilot was arrested in September 2009 in Spain, when he was preparing to carry out his last flight before retirement, from Valencia to Netherlands. Spain extradited Poch to his country of birth, Argentina.

In February Poch pleaded not guilty before the judges his innocence, and requested to be released, which was rejected.

The former Transavia pilot has been detained in Argentina for several years now, and the process will probably take a few more years, because besides Poch dozens of suspects also stand trial.