18 Dec 2010

Prison terms for Pinochet officials

10:35 am on 18 December 2010

A court in France has imposed prison sentences ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment on 14 officials in Chile who served under General Augusto Pinochet.

They were convicted, in their absence, of involvement in the disappearance of four French citizens between 1973 - 1975.

Thirteen of the officials are Chilean, while one is Argentine. One was acquitted.

The BBC reports the charges included kidnapping, torture and detention.