Chilean Supreme Court Suspends Pinochet QuestioningChile's Supreme Court of Justice Tuesday suspended questioning of impeached life-long senator Augusto Pinochet, which was expected to be held Wednesday, to give time to carry out medical exams on the former leader.After a two-day hearing, the top court decided that judge Juan Guzman, who leads the investigation of the so-called "caravan of death", should not question Pinochet until after a 20-day period, during which Pinochet must undergo mental and neurological tests to see whether or not he is fit to stand trial. The decision is in favor of Pinochet, whose lawyers insisted that he be examined mentally and physically when Guzman announced that the interrogation will be held on December 27. The Supreme Court ordered that the tests be conducted in a military hospital as was requested by Pinochet's lawyer, instead of a public one as plaintiffs insisted. Pinochet's private doctors said that the 84-year-old former strongman "is very sick" and suffers from diabetes and arthritis and grave heart disease. If doctors announce that Pinochet's physical and mental conditions are not fit to stand trial, the case against him will have to be suspended indefinitely. Guzman, who ordered Pinochet to be placed under house arrest on December 1, continues a trial against Pinochet for kidnappings and homicides made during the "caravan of death" -- a military execution of 77 political prisoners following the 1973 coup in which Pinochet overturned former Chilean President Salvador Allende. |
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