On October 31 former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was arrested and charged with torture, a landmark step toward justice for the thousands of victims who were tortured thirty years ago under his regime. Through reports, op-eds, press releases, and direct advocacy in Chile, Human Rights Watch has long pressed for Pinochet to be held accountable for the rampant abuses that characterized his rule.
Though already facing kidnapping charges, Pinochet had never been charged with torture. Now under house arrest, Pinochet will be prosecuted in the Chilean Supreme Court for the torture of 23 people, as well as the kidnapping of 34 and one homicide, which were carried out at a secret government detention center after he seized power in the 1973 military coup.
