From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Charles Ellson  wrote:   
      
   >As applied to General Pinochet when there was an attempt to deal with   
   >him in the UK some years ago, that's sovereign immunity not diplomatic   
   >immunity (which most "sovereigns" be they monarchs or presidents don't   
   >have). It only applies to acts within their own country not those in   
   >other countries; the immunity continues beyond their end of period of   
   >rule/office but only WRT events within that period. It was one of the   
   >various reasons why Emperor Hirohito was not tried after WW2. Those   
   >who did come to a sticky end (e.g. Hitler, Mussolini, Ceausescu,   
   >Hussein, Quisling and others) generally did so at the hands of   
   >themselves, their own country or as a general war victim.   
      
   What case would have been made against Hirohito? Even if he'd been   
   personally responsible for any of the more attrocious orders, Japan   
   never signed the Geneva conventions.   
      
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