A court in Argentina says legal proceedings are being brought against a former naval officer, Alfredo Astiz, for his public defence of his role in the disappearance of thousands of people during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.

The charges relate to a magazine interview published last January in which Mr Astiz talked about the killing of suspected dissidents.

He was stripped of his rank and privileges following the article's publication.

Mr Astiz has never been tried for human rights abuses; he and other military personnel are protected by a sweeping amnesty.