© AFP PhotoRios Montt is known for his "scorched earth" campaign against those the government termed leftist rebels
A judge in Guatemala has ordered the trial of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt for genocide in a case relating to the killings of more than 1,750 indigenous people during his 1982-83 reign.
The 86-year-old Rios Montt appeared in court on Monday, where Judge Miguel Galvez ordered the opening of the trial "for the crimes of genocide" and crimes against humanity.
Relatives of some of the victims lit firecrackers outside the Supreme Court to celebrate the decree.
Al Jazeera's Dave Mercer, reporting from the Guatemalan city of Solola, said that the decision left many people quite pleased.
"There were hundreds of witness testominies and forensic reports for this case, that has been nearly a decade in the making," Mercer said.
"This decision is unparalled in Guatemala - this is Guatemala's Pinochet. Activists say that he managed to escape justice for many years".
This is the first time that genocide proceedings have been formally initiated in the Central American country over the 36-year civil war that ended in 1996. The war left an estimated 200,000 people dead, according to the UN.
Rios Montt, who has been under house arrest for a year, is accused of orchestrating the massacre of more than 1,750 indigenous Ixil Maya people in the Quiche region during his time in power.
"There are serious basis on which to put him on oral and public trial for his alleged participation in the crimes attributed to him," Judge Galvez said.
The small courtroom was packed with relatives of victims and rights activists as well as retired soldiers who back Rios Montt.
Human Rights Watch called the decision to prosecute Rios Montt a "major step forward for accountability in Guatemala."
"The fact that a judge has ordered the trial of a former head of state is a remarkable development in a country where impunity for past atrocities has long been the norm," said the group's Americas director, Jose Miguel Vivanco.
Leadership charged
The judge also decided to open a genocide trial against retired general Jose Rodriguez, a former member of the military leadership who arrived in court in a wheelchair.
Galvez told the two former military officers to appear at a hearing on January 31 for the presentation of evidence. The composition of the tribunal would be decided at a later date.
Until then, Rios Montt will remain under house arrest while Rodriguez will stay at a military hospital where he has been treated for his failing health.
Rios Montt is known for his "scorched earth" campaign against people the government claimed were leftist rebels but were often in fact members of indigenous Maya communities who were not involved in the conflict.
His attorneys argued that Rios Montt, who came to power in a coup in 1982, was never aware of the massacres committed by the army.
"They want to stick something to Rios Montt that he never did," said his lawyer, Danilo Rodriguez, who is a former guerrilla.
Francisco Palomo, another attorney for Rios Montt, told reporters the defence team would appeal Galvez's decision.
"We will be presenting an appeal. We are not afraid of facing a trial, as long as it is a fair one... not a lynch mob," said Palomo.
Dressed in a gray suit, the former general arrived on time for the hearing. Upon his entry into the courtroom, a small group of retired military men saluted him.
Outside the courthouse in the center of Guatemala City, a group of relatives of victims set up a makeshift altar, where they placed flowers and other offerings, and burned incense.
Indigenous Maya communities make up a majority of the population in rural Guatemala.
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