View source for Augusto Pinochet

==Detention in London==
{{See also|Letter to the Chileans, by Augusto Pinochet}}
[[File:Pinochet and his wife with Margaret Thatcher.jpg|thumbnail|Pinochet and his wife with Margaret Thatcher.]]
In 1998, the [[leftists]] who had long hated Pinochet arranged for his arrest while he was in [[London]] receiving medical treatment. An unprecedented arrest warrant was issued in [[Spain]] by judge [[Baltasar Garzón]] for alleged [[human rights]] violations with the charges of "genocide, terrorism and torture" that is accused of being responsible during his government. [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a vocal supporter of Pinochet during the arrest. The stunt failed, and Pinochet was subsequently returned to Chile due to his ill health after a year and five months of detention in England. He returned to his country on March 3, 2000. Upon his return, he had to face numerous lawsuits filed against him in the courts. On June 5, the Court of Appeals decided -by 13 votes to nine- to strip the senator for life of his immunity, a measure that was ratified by the Supreme Court by 14 votes to six. He was later indicted and charged with '[[kidnapping]]' 19 supporters of Salvador Allende (Left Wing Terrorists) during the 1973 coup in which Pinochet took power. The Chilean [[Supreme Court]] suspended the prosecution in July 2002, again due to Pinochet's continuing poor health.<ref name=Biografia/><ref name=EUvsPinochet/>