Good news! A Chilean court has
stripped Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during his reign of terror:
A court stripped Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution Friday, paving the way for the trial of the former Chilean dictator on human rights charges.
The court voted 14-9 to lift the immunity that the 88-year-old Pinochet enjoys as former president, a court clerk said.
Pinochet may not actually face trial because of the medical issues:
The decision may still be appealed before the Supreme Court, which has repeatedly ruled in the past that Pinochet is physically and mentally unfit to stand trial.
A 2002 report by court-appointed doctors stated that Pinochet has a mild case of dementia. He has a pacemaker, suffers from diabetes and arthritis, and has had at least three mild strokes since 1998.
My guess is no trial. But, it's still nice to see the Chilean system dealing with that dark period in its history and holding Pinochet (and hopefully his cronies as well) responsible for their actions. Now, if they could just get Kissinger, too.