[JURIST] Chile's Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal by deposed Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet [Wikipedia profile; JURIST news archive] of a lower court decision in July that stripped him of immunity [JURIST report] from prosecution. Pinochet, 89, is accused of involvement in Operation Colombo, in which 119 political opponents were allegedly abducted and killed in 1975. The current case covers 16 of these killings specifically, and the lower court ruled that the former dictator was well enough to stand trial. The planned prosecution is one of many [BBC News timeline] the former leader faces for alleged crimes committed under his regime, which ran from 1973 to 1990. He has thus far managed to avoid trial, largely by what detractors argue are false claims of failing health to gain sympathy from courts. BBC News has more.

Previously on JURIST's Paper Chase…

• Chilean court upholds tax fraud charges against Pinochet wife, son
• Pinochet wife and son charged as accomplices in tax fraud
• Chilean appeals court says Pinochet able to stand trial for killings
• Pinochet stripped of immunity for human rights abuses
• Pinochet suffers stroke day before immunity hearing