Chilean Judge Asks Appeals Court to Take Immunity From Pinochet
A judge asked a Chilean court Monday to strip Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his congressional immunity so that the former dictator could stand trial for what has come to be known as “the caravan of death”--the killing and disappearance of 72 dissidents in the days after his 1973 coup.
The request by Judge Juan Guzman, the first ever filed against Pinochet in Chile, came just three days after the army gave the former ruler a warm welcome upon his return from house arrest in Britain--and gave rise to concerns that the military might bring pressure to bear against any such trial.
“This is the beginning of justice, which we have sought for so long,” said lawyer Hugo Gutierrez, who is marshaling several of the lawsuits pending here against Pinochet.
The 22-member Santiago Court of Appeals would be the first to rule on Pinochet’s immunity, after which either side could appeal to the Supreme Court. The process could take weeks, even months.
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