A judge has placed former Chilean ruler, Augusto Pinochet, under house arrest in connection with charges of human rights abuses during his 17-year rule.
General Pinochet was charged Monday with the kidnapping of nine dissidents and the killing of one of them. The charges stem from an investigation into General Pinochet's role in a 1970s conspiracy called Operation Condor, which involved a network of South American dictators whose aim was to eliminate leftist dissidents.
General Pinochet ruled Chile from 1973 until 1990. During that time more than 3,000 political opponents died or disappeared.
Because of health concerns, the 89-year-old former dictator has avoided prosecution related to crimes allegedly committed during his leadership. The judge says he is now fit to stand trial. General Pinochet has denied any wrongdoing.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
