Pinochet's Caravan of Death jailed

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Pinochet's Caravan of Death jailed

Erik Lopez
Reuters

SANTIAGO– Chile's Supreme Court jailed five retired military officials Wednesday for involvement in the "Caravan of Death," the only case of dictatorship-era killings for which Augusto Pinochet was arrested in Chile.

The "Caravan of Death" was a military committee that travelled around Chile by helicopter after Pinochet's 1973 coup ordering the deaths of suspected leftist opponents.

"I'm very happy. We'd been expecting this after fighting for ... more than 10 years since lodging our case about the so-called caravan of death," said Hugo Gutierrez, lawyer for the victims' families.

Sergio Arellano Stark, who headed the committee, received a sentence of six years, a Supreme Court official said. The other four defendants received sentences of four or six years.

"(It is) an extraordinarily unjust sentence ... which is not based on any real proof," said Claudio Arellano Parker, Stark's defense lawyer and nephew.

"It is quite clear that when an 88-year-old is sentenced for events that happened 35 years earlier, they are in no position to properly face the punishment."



Read more: http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/517954

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Henry Kissinger, left, Augusto Pinochet, facing camera

[The Magistrate]

1. The Only Thing 'Un-Just' About These Sentences, Ma'am

Is that they do not involve rotisserie spits and good deep bed of coals....

[gratuitous]

4. I wonder what the victims' families have to say

Let's consult the actuarial tables and see if Commander Bunnypants will still be alive in 2043. Not looking good, but some of the younger members of his cabal might want to think twice about whether or not to turn state's evidence.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[Warpy]

3. Cry me a river, Parker

then jump into it and drown.

I hope this is sending a message to our own crop of war criminals, especially Kissinger, that no matter how long they are free, they will eventually be caught and thrown into prison.

[damntexdem]

5. The sentences aren't long enough -- they're too old to serve adequate sentences.

But if they're concerned that the sentences are excessive for felons their age, they have only themselves to blame: they could have confessed years ago and demanded to be sentenced then. ;-)

[phusion]

6. I hope they rot in prison n/t

[heliarc]

7. ¡Asesinos culiados! n/t

[Joe Bacon]

8. Someday, Kissinger will also be held accountable for his crimes.

The day will come when that evil bastard is brought to book for his crimes.

[heliarc]

9. Don't forget that he's a good friend of John McCain's...

Maybe Obama should bring that up tonight when McCain brings up Ayers.