Posted on 03/24/2005 7:51:16 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Chile's Supreme Court on Thursday refused to strip Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution, blocking yet another attempt to try him for alleged human rights abuses during his dictatorship.
The Court's 15-4 vote rejected a lower court ruling that would have stripped the 89-year-old former ruler of the legal immunity he enjoys as former president.
In announcing its decision the Supreme Court did not immediately publish the text of its ruling, which is believed to be based mainly on Pinochet's deteriorated health.
On Dec. 2, the Santiago Court of Appeals had voted 14-9 to strip Pinochet of immunity at the request of Judge Alejandro Solis, who is investigating the Sept. 1974 assassination in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires of Gen. Carlos Prats, Pinochet's predecessor as army commander.
Prats had opposed the Sep. 11, 1973 coup that ushered Pinochet to power for 17 years. Prats and his wife Sophia Cuthbert, who had sought asylum in Argentina, were killed when a bomb blew up their automobile as they arrived at their home.
The investigation in Argentina traced the killing to Pinochet's security service.
Thursday's decision did not end Pinochet's legal troubles, though, as he is currently being tried in the case known as Operation Condor, a joint plan developed by the South American military dictatorships of the 1970s to eliminate dissidents.
In addition, another judge is investigating the disclosure that he kept secret multi million dollar accounts at banks in the United States.
Pinochet still also faces more than 200 criminal suits stemming from the massive human rights abuses during his 1973-90 dictatorship, and while on some occasions the courts have pronounced him unfit to stand trial on health grounds, he has been tried and held under house arrest twice. One trial was finally dropped, because of his health, and one is still developing.
Pinochet has been diagnosed a mild case of dementia, suffers from diabetes and arthritis and has a pacemaker.
According to an official report by the civilian government that succeeded Pinochet, 3,190 people were killed for political reasons during his long reign.
In this undated file photo former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, left, appears with former Army Chief Gen. Carlos Prats. On Thursday, Mar. 24, 2005. Chile's Supreme Court on Thursday, March 24, 2005, refused to strip former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution for the assassination in 1974 of his predecessor as commander of the Chilean army Carlos Prats and his wife, Sofia Cuthbert in a car bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
As I understand it, he killed/tortured a bunch of anti-US Commies.
And this is bad because... ??
We'll never know the proportion of innocent vs. 'guilty' that he eliminated or allowed to be ..
Truly a let God sort them out scenario, tho a lot of family members still don't know where their sons or daughters went or were buried, and now probably never will.
Nor will we know how many of the 'disappeared' are in other countries carrying out terrorist acts with their marxist brethren.
It would have been much worse if Allende was left in power.
Apparently, it's mostly right-wing types that step down. One needs to look no further than Cuba.
Throw in Idi Amin Dada, Mugabe, Pol Pot, ...
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