Pinochet's immunity in Operation Colombo case removed
The Santiago Court of Appeals Wednesday removed the immunity from criminal prosecution of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, 89, in regards to the Operation Colombo case involving the disappearance of 119 persons.

The Santiago court decided by a count of eleven votes against ten to remove the immunity of the former ruler of Chile.

The Santiago Court of Appeals listened for over an hour to the claims of the plaintiff and the defense before the vote.

Hernan Quezada, one of the lawyers representing the families of the 119 victims, expressed his satisfaction over the court decision, saying that "we're pleased with the ruling."

However, Pablo Rodriguez, Pinochet's lawyer, said that the decision was not based on evidence.

The Operation Colombo became public in 1975, when Pinochet's regime announced that the bodies of 119 members of the Leftist Revolutionary Movement (MIR) had been found in Argentina and Brazil, allegedly killed in a dispute among members of the guerrilla organization.

The elderly general took power in a bloody coup in 1973 and ruled the country for 17 years.

An official report said 3,197 people died or disappeared under Pinochet's military rule.

The Supreme Court has stripped Pinochet of immunity in two human rights cases, but the cases have been delayed due to health problems.