Three months after the Supreme Court of Chile removed his immunity, Augusto Pinochet was formally charged by Judge Guzman and placed under house arrest on 13 December. The former dictator could now stand trial in the Chilean courts for the abduction and murder of political opponents in the framework of Operation Condor. Judge Guzman\'s decision, which he admits was «fairly easy to take», came as a surprise to many Chileans. It disregards the medical opinions of two out of the three psychiatric experts charged with assessing Pinochet\'s mental health (including the doctor who Guzman appointed himself) who consider that the General is not fit to stand trial. In the end, Guzman trusted his personal convictions and perception of Pinochet\'s mental state over the opinions of the experts. Somewhat taken aback by the unexpected announcement, the General\'s lawyers rapidly denounced the house arrest of their client - who is supposedly ill and incapable of defending himself - even declaring it to be «a serious violation of the most basic human rights». It is now up to the Appeals Court, who will hear Pinochet\'s defence, to decide on the validity of the arrest by ruling on its legality. On 18 December, Pinochet was admitted to hospital suffering from a stroke. The plaintiffs have denounced this as a strategy to avoid trial.