Pinochet Undergoes Health Examination

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet underwent an independent medical examination to determine his fitness to stand trial in Spain on charges of human rights abuses. Pinochet, 84, spent nearly seven hours at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, north of London, and left without comment. “The full results will not be known for two to three days,” a hospital spokesman said. Pinochet’s supporters have long said his health is too poor to withstand the rigors of a trial. The exam was requested by the Chilean government. Pinochet has been under detention in Britain since his October 1998 arrest in London on a Spanish warrant. He is being sought to face trial for alleged human rights abuses committed during his 17-year rule.