Pinochet striped from immunity

Today Chile's Supreme Court voted 14-9 to take away the immunity from prosecution of the former military leader Augusto Pinochet, BBC reported (Court lifts Pinochet's immunity). Although Pinochet relinquished, reluctantly, Chile's presidential post in 1990, trials for his human rights abuses did not start until 1998 when Spain requested his extradition from Britain on torture charges. Previous attempts to bring the General to justice were unsuccessful. However, in November 2003, a fresh attempt to try the general started. This time Pinochet is on trial for his involvement in Operation Condor - a coordinated effort of South American dictators to expunge their opposition.

Read more: Human Rights Watch, Chile: Court Ruling May Define Future of Rights Prosecutions, Key Doctrine on Pinochet-Era 'Disappearances' at Stake