Menendez, 80, along with seven other officers, are being tried in Cordoba, where he was in command of the military dictatorship's forces at the time, La Nacion reported online Tuesday.

It is the first time the Argentine government has held a trial of former military leaders on human rights abuse charges outside of the capital, Buenos Aires.

About 30,000 people were killed or disappeared during the 1976-1983 military regime in Argentina that became known as the "Dirty War."