14 ex-officials of Chilean dictator Pinochet face French trial in absentia over disappearances

[Judi Lynn]

14 ex-officials of Chilean dictator Pinochet face French trial in absentia over disappearances
By PIERRE-ANTOINE SOUCHARD , Associated Press
Last update: December 8, 2010 - 10:28 AM

PARIS - A French court put 14 former Chilean officials on trial in absentia Wednesday over the disappearance of French citizens under the regime of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The 14, mostly former high-ranking military officials, face charges including kidnapping and torture and are the subject of international arrest warrants. They face up to life in prison, if convicted.

While the defendants did not appear in court Wednesday, families of the victims hope the trial offers some justice more than 30 years after the four Frenchmen disappeared — and four years after Pinochet himself died following failed efforts in Chile and abroad to prosecute him for human rights abuses.

The 14 are being tried in connection with the disappearances of the four men between 1973 and 1975. Among the disappeared was Georges Klein, the doctor of Marxist President Salvador Allende, whom Pinochet toppled on Sept. 11, 1973, in a bloody coup.

More:
http://www.startribune.com/world/111527499.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. And let us not forget : Kissinger accused over Chile plot

A lawsuit has been filed against the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger over his alleged role in the death of the former Chilean army commander, General Rene Schneider, in 1970.

The suit was filed in Washington by members of the general's family. They accuse Mr Kissinger of being involved in what they say was a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plot to kill him.

General Schneider died after resisting a kidnapping attempt which, the family says, was part of a wider plot to prevent the Chilean Marxist leader, Salvador Allende, from becoming president.

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The court action follows several requests by judges in Chile and Argentina judges to question Mr Kissinger over human rights abuses committed during the military regimes of the 1970s.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1536547.stm

As far I'm aware there is a stil a warrant out on Kissenger issued in Paris.

[naaman fletcher]

2. Quick question:

Since we don't support imperialism or European involvement in Latin American affairs, why should we support France claiming jurisdiction over people who were not in France and has no dealings with France?

[Peace Patriot]

3. Huh?

French citizens were killed!

And if, by "we," you mean the U.S. government and its multinational corporate/war profiteer rulers, you got me scratchin' my head about "we don't support imperialsm." Where you been?

I mean even in the last few days?

[naaman fletcher]

4. ok..

I didn't realize french citizens were killed.

Also, by "we" I meant the LA forum, not the US gov't.

[social_critic]

5. I wonder if Chilean courts can put French officials on trial

For the disappearance of French citizens in Algeria during the war of independence? So many of them were tortured and murdered by the French security services, and yet none of the guilty parties were ever tried. One of them even wrote a book about his experiences, a primer on how to deal with insurgents.