1. Appellate Court door sign 2. Various FILE pictures of Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet 3. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Emilio Cheyre, Chilean Armed Forces Commander: "The speculations about General Pinochet are hurtful. I know first hand of his worsening physical condition, of his suffering, of his notable lack of ability in many aspects." 4. FILE of Pinochet walking 5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Pablo Rodriguez, Pinochet's attorney: "Going out for a walk or to a restaurant doesn't mean that you are capable of facing a judicial process. It is one thing to defend yourself in a court of law and another to go out on the street for a walk or to buy a book. It is absurd to link both things. In fact, Minister Ballestero says so after analysing the interview granted by Mr Pinochet. He says that he is indeed in a very bad situation." 6. FILE of Pinochet 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Eduardo Contreras, Prosecuting Attorney: "Supposedly Augusto Pinochet is in no condition to remember anything, such as dates. He supposedly has no long term or short term memory. What is absurd is to think that someone can buy history books, speak to the attendant at the bookstore about dates, conduct commercial transactions. This is another insult to the the public and to the Supreme Court. Purchasing books is a provocation and we will incorporate this into our case." 8. FILE of Pinochet 9. House where Pinochet lives STORYLINE: Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet was fully aware of human rights abuses committed under his rule and did nothing to prevent them, according to the text of a Chilean court decision made public on Wednesday. The May 28 ruling by the Santiago Court of Appeals was in favour of stripping Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution - something he enjoys as a former president. Although the court's decision to strip Pinochet of his immunity was immediately made public on May 28, the full text of the decision wasn't released until Wednesday when the court said it believed Pinochet knew of repression under his rule. Pinochet "knew perfectly well" what the security service was doing, "and was in a position to prevent the abuses, given its high authority," the ruling said. The ruling increased the possibility that the 88-year-old former strongman will be tried for abuses during his 1973-90 reign. The security service was commanded by General Manuel Contreras, a close associate of Pinochet. Contreras, now retired, has served prison terms in various human rights cases, including the 1976 assassination in Washington of Orlando Letelier, a prominent Pinochet foe. Pinochet's defence lawyers say they will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, which in the past has dropped charges against Pinochet because of his health. According to a 2001 report by court-appointed doctors, Pinochet suffers from mild dementia and has sustained at least three mild strokes since 1998. In addition, he suffers from diabetes and arthritis, and has been given a pacemaker. The Supreme Court has ruled that Pinochet's health makes him unfit to stand trial. The Santiago Court of Appeals voted 14-9 in favour of trying Pinochet for his role in the killing or disappearance of 19 Chilean dissidents in Argentina and Paraguay - part of the so-called Operation Condor which was a repression coordination plan implemented by the region's military dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s. The court ruling came after relatives of the victims sued Pinochet. Lawyers said the ruling was prompted in part by Pinochet's appearance in a November 2003 interview with a Miami Spanish-language television station. During the interview, he appeared healthy and lucid, although he was holding a cane and spoke with slurred words. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c9c46ce591e2c5a0d1bb13879806d2c0 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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