Court refuses to release Pinochet from house arrest

An appeals court today turned down a request by lawyers for General Augusto Pinochet to release the former dictator from house arrest or drop human rights charges against him.

A panel of the Santiago Court of Appeals voted 3-0 to reject the requests on behalf of the 90-year-old former ruler, Court President Juan Escobar said.

Pinochet’s chief lawyer, Pablo Rodriguez, had refused to argue his case before the panel, saying a last-minute replacement of one of its members was “a manipulation” intended to harm Pinochet.

Rodriguez said he will now take the case before the Supreme Court.

Pinochet was indicted last month and ordered to remain under house arrest in connection with the disappearance of six dissidents in the early years of his 1974-90 dictatorship.

The six were among 119 people who disappeared in a case known as Operation Colombo.

He also faces charges of tax evasion and corruption stemming from multi-million dollar accounts he owns in banks overseas.

Whether Pinochet stands trial on the charges is uncertain as courts have blocked trials against him four times on health grounds.

He suffers from mild dementia, diabetes, arthritis and has a pacemaker, but court-appointed doctors who recently examined him said he is fit to stand trial.