Following the coup d'état of 11 September 1973, he became involved with the Comité Pro Paz, a non-governmental organization for human rights established by various Christian churches and other religious organizations[2] on the initiative of Roman CatholicCardinalRaúl Silva Henríquez. Serving as the director of its legal department from late 1973 until the committee was wound up in December 1975, his job was to direct and coordinate the efforts of internal and external lawyers in defending human rights. This entailed work in three broad areas:
Serving as counsel for defendants accused by the military courts (consejos de guerra).
Filing for constitutional relief and habeas corpus remedies (amparo) on behalf of detainees held by the military.
Attempting to conduct investigations into the whereabouts of detainees.
On 15 November 1975, agents of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) arrested Zalaquett and took him to the Tres Álamos detention centre. He was released on 30 January 1976, arrested again on 5 April, and sent into exile on 12 April. He did not return to Chile until 1986.
During his years abroad, he served as the head of the international executive committee of Amnesty International from 1979 to 1982.
On 12 November 2009, in a ceremony at the Palacio de la Moneda he was given "The Notre Dame Prize", from the University of Notre Dame, that recognizes "the efforts of visionary leaders in Latin America to promote the welfare of the region by strengthening democracy and improving the quality of life of its citizens ".[5]
The Human Rights Issue and The Human Rights Movement. World Council of Churches, Geneva. (1982)
Derechos Humanos y Limitaciones Politicas en las Transiciones Democraticas del Conosur. Colección Estudios Cieplan, Santiago. (1991)
"Moral Reconstruction in the Wake of Human Rights Violations and War Crimes". In: Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas Relating to Humanitarian Intervention. Edited by Jonathan Moore of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, University of Harvard, and sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, USA. (1998)
Los Límites de la Tolerancia. Libertad de Expresion y Debate Publico en Chile.LOM Ediciones, Santiago de Chile. (1998)
"Truth, Justice and Reconciliation: Lessons For The International Community". In: Comparative Peace Processes In Latin America. José Zalaquett Daher. Cynthia Arnson. Woodrow Wilson Center Press/Stanford University Press, Washington, D.C. (1999)
