Pinochet returns for tests

Pinochet (left) failed to appear in court on Sunday

Chile's former military leader General Augusto Pinochet has returned from his countryside retreat to the capital, Santiago, where he is due to undergo medical tests on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, his lawyers dropped their opposition to the tests, which hope to establish whether the 85-year-old general is mentally fit to stand trial for alleged human rights abuses.

General Pinochet is also expected to face questioning from investigating Judge Juan Guzman next week.

General Pinochet has travelled and will be at the military hospital tomorrow

Retired General Guillermo Garin

Analysts say both moves are designed to head off the prospect of the general being arrested for contempt of court following his refusal to attend scheduled tests on Sunday.

The psychological and neurological tests are expected to last from Wednesday until Saturday.

'Reasonable period'

"The judge set a substantially more reasonable period of four days to conduct these analyses on a person aged 85 who is quite ill," said the head of his defence team, retired General Guillermo Garin.

Anti-Pinochet feeling in Chile is growing

General Pinochet is reportedly suffering from memory loss, heart problems and diabetes.

Under Chilean law, if the tests uncover any signs of dementia or insanity, he would not have to go on trial.

Judge Guzman is investigating more than 200 lawsuits against General Pinochet concerning human rights violations.

More than 3,000 people, including 1,198 political prisoners listed as missing, are believed to have died his 17-year stewardship of the country.

Grim findings

On Sunday, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos presented the results of an inquiry into the whereabouts of the missing.

Thousands disappeared during Pinochet's rule

The bodies of 151 people, he said, had been thrown into the sea, lakes or rivers and would never be recovered.

Another 20 bodies are believed to lie in a mass grave somewhere in Santiago.

The inquiry's findings came as a disappointment to many Chileans who lost relatives and friends during the Pinochet era.

Human rights activists have criticised the Chilean armed forces for failing to provide more information on the fate of those still unaccounted for.