In early 1995, Italy ordered the extradition from Argentina to Italy of Erich Priebke. The request was made on the basis of an arrest petition against Priebke issued by the Judge in charge of the preliminary investigation before the Military Justice of Rome. Priebke was accused of ‘having been a member of the German Army, an enemy of the Italian State, in cooperation with … odier German soldiers, widi … executive action of … criminal design and acting with cruelty on people … causing the death of 335 people most of them Italian citizens, military men and civilian people who were not taking part in military operations, and premeditated shooting some shots against them, in “Cave Ardeatine”, Rome, on 24 March 1944 during the time of the war between Italy and Germany.’