Chile Reopens Emblematic Rights Case vs Pinochet
Chile's Supreme Court on Monday reopened the first human rights case brought against 90-year-old former dictator Augusto Pinochet, four years after it was thrown out because of his dementia.
Pinochet led a 17-year dictatorship in Chile after a 1973 coup and more than 3,000 people died in political violence and tens of thousands were detained and tortured during the regime.
The so-called Caravan of Death case involved a tour of Chile by army officers after the 1973 coup to execute dozens of opponents and was the first human rights case to be brought against Pinochet.
``This is such an emblematic case and now there is real possibility that we could reverse the result in 2002 where general Pinochet benefited from a craziness that never existed,'' said Eduardo Contreras, a lawyer for the prosecution.
Pinochet lost immunity and was charged in the case in 2000, but the Supreme Court threw out those charges in 2002 after his lawyers successfully argued dementia made him unfit to defend himself against the accusations.
But the former dictator has subsequently been stripped of his immunity and is facing charges in other human rights cases.
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Pinochet led a 17-year dictatorship in Chile after a 1973 coup and more than 3,000 people died in political violence and tens of thousands were detained and tortured during the regime.
The so-called Caravan of Death case involved a tour of Chile by army officers after the 1973 coup to execute dozens of opponents and was the first human rights case to be brought against Pinochet.
``This is such an emblematic case and now there is real possibility that we could reverse the result in 2002 where general Pinochet benefited from a craziness that never existed,'' said Eduardo Contreras, a lawyer for the prosecution.
Pinochet lost immunity and was charged in the case in 2000, but the Supreme Court threw out those charges in 2002 after his lawyers successfully argued dementia made him unfit to defend himself against the accusations.
But the former dictator has subsequently been stripped of his immunity and is facing charges in other human rights cases.