MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: Former Chilean military ruler Augusto Pinochet may be closer to facing prosecution. A Chilean appeals court has voted to strip the general of the immunity he holds as a senator for life. His attorneys say they will appeal. CNN's David Ensor reports.</s>DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 13-to-9 vote of the appeals court was greeted outside the Santiago Justice Building with cheers and a march through the streets by several hundred demonstrators, including relatives of some of those who were killed or disappeared during the 1973 coup d'etat by Chile's military. The official announcement confirming the Chilean appeals court vote stripping General Augusto Pinochet of his legal immunity from prosecution moves the 84- year-old former Chilean junta leader an important step closer to a trial. The charges would be kidnapping, murder and torture, though an appeal to Chile's Supreme Court is a certainty and the legal wrangling could take years. As a senator for life, Pinochet had a cloak of immunity against criminal prosecution. But under Chile's constitution, judges may strip it away if they have evidence a crime has been committed. There is also the question of whether Pinochet is mentally fit to stand trial and whether he would be tried in a civilian or a military court. David Ensor, CNN, Santiago, Chile.
Chilean Court Strips Pinochet of Immunity 