[JURIST] A Chilean appeals court Wednesday again stripped former dictator Augusto Pinochet [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] of immunity, this time in a case involving the 1974 disappearance of a Spanish priest. The priest, Antonio Llido, was arrested by the Chilean DINA [NID backgrounder] after expressing opposition to Pinochet. The court will determine whether Pinochet is eligible for bail this week.

Pinochet, 90, is currently under house arrest [JURIST report] in connection with a case involving kidnapping, torture and homicide [JURIST report] that took place at a DINA prison in the 1970s. The Supreme Court of Chile upheld a lower court decision lifting his immunity to face these charges in September. Pinochet has been stripped of immunity numerous times before for charges including kidnapping and murder and tax evasion. Pinochet is established as a lifetime senator under Article 45 of the 1980 Chilean Constitution [PDF text] so a separate case must be heard on whether to lift his immunity each time charges are brought against him. Reuters has more. El Universal of Venezuela has additional coverage [in Spanish].