[JURIST] Mexican ex-president Luis Echeverria [Trial Watch profile; JURIST news archive] was found unable to undergo a psychological examination Friday due to his deteriorating health, according to his lawyer. The former president, who held office from 1970 to 1976, has been charged with genocide and other crimes committed during his time in the Mexican government. Last week, Echeverria was placed under house arrest on charges related to a massacre of student protesters [backgrounder] in 1968 when Echeverria was Interior Minister. Echeverria had previously been cleared of the charges [JURIST report] due to the statute of limitations but last week a Mexican appeals panel overruled [JURIST report] that determination.

Echeverria is accused [Mexico AG report, in Spanish] of involvement in the murders and disappearances of more than 500 leftist dissidents during the so-called dirty war [National Security Archive backgrounder] in the 1960s and 1970s. Echeverria's lawyer blames Echeverria's poor physical condition on a stroke last February. AP has more.