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| Pinochet faces chemist case trial | Pinochet faces chemist case trial |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Chile's former military ruler, Gen Augusto Pinochet, is to be prosecuted over the case of a murdered chemist and secret police agent, a judge has said. | |
| Eugenio Berrios' body was found with gunshot wounds, buried on a beach in Uruguay in 1995. | Eugenio Berrios' body was found with gunshot wounds, buried on a beach in Uruguay in 1995. |
| Courts have stripped Gen Pinochet of his immunity in seven human rights cases dating to his 17-year rule. | Courts have stripped Gen Pinochet of his immunity in seven human rights cases dating to his 17-year rule. |
| He has yet to be cleared or convicted in any cases, some of which were dropped because of his ill health. | He has yet to be cleared or convicted in any cases, some of which were dropped because of his ill health. |
| Lawyers for Gen Pinochet, 90, have argued he is too infirm to stand trial. | |
| He has been diagnosed with minor dementia, among other ailments. | |
| Until September this year, the former president had enjoyed immunity from prosecution - a privilege he awarded himself before leaving office in 1990. | Until September this year, the former president had enjoyed immunity from prosecution - a privilege he awarded himself before leaving office in 1990. |
| 'Illegal association' | 'Illegal association' |
| An appeals court voted 16 to two in favour of removing Gen Pinochet's immunity from prosecution in the Berrios case. | An appeals court voted 16 to two in favour of removing Gen Pinochet's immunity from prosecution in the Berrios case. |
| Chilean courts can only decide whether to strip his immunity on a case-by-case basis. | Chilean courts can only decide whether to strip his immunity on a case-by-case basis. |
| Gen Pinochet can appeal the ruling. | Gen Pinochet can appeal the ruling. |
| Berrios, a chemist once employed by the secret police, was suspected of involvement in the 1976 assassination of Orlando Letelier, a Pinochet opponent. | Berrios, a chemist once employed by the secret police, was suspected of involvement in the 1976 assassination of Orlando Letelier, a Pinochet opponent. |
| According to Alejandro Madrid, a judge quoted by the Associated Press news agency, Gen Pinochet was part of an "illegal association" that sent Berrios to Uruguay to prevent him from testifying in the Letelier investigation. | According to Alejandro Madrid, a judge quoted by the Associated Press news agency, Gen Pinochet was part of an "illegal association" that sent Berrios to Uruguay to prevent him from testifying in the Letelier investigation. |
| Berrios is believed to have eventually been murdered to prevent him from returning to Chile. | Berrios is believed to have eventually been murdered to prevent him from returning to Chile. |
| His murder is thought to have taken place after 1990, at a time when Gen Pinochet was no longer president, but still commanded the Chilean military. | His murder is thought to have taken place after 1990, at a time when Gen Pinochet was no longer president, but still commanded the Chilean military. |
| Thousands of suspected political opponents of Gen Pinochet were tortured or killed during his rule. | Thousands of suspected political opponents of Gen Pinochet were tortured or killed during his rule. |