Former Military Dictatorship Officers Convicted in Argentina

The Human Rights Secretariat informed this Wednesday that the Argentine judicial system imposed sentences on 19 former members of the military dictatorship in the country, ranging from four years in prison to life imprisonment.

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"Ten of them received life imprisonment and nine others, sentences of between 22 and four years in prison. They were found guilty of the crimes of illegal deprivation of liberty, infliction of torture, illegal search and seizure, robbery, indecent assault, rape and homicide," the Secretariat stated.

Former gendarme Roberto Fusco was sentenced to 10 years and six months while former police officers Arnaldo Jorge Román and Carlos Daniel Caimi received nine and four years in prison respectively, according to the Argentine agency's statements.

The First Oral Federal Court of San Martin, that issued the sentences, also sentenced Santiago Omar Riveros to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity that took place in the Defense Zone IV of the Military Institutes Command of Campo de Mayo.

Eugenio Guañabens Perelló, Luis del Valle Arce, Luis Sadi Pepa, Carlos Javier Tamini, Carlos Eduardo José Somoza, Miguel Conde and Mario Rubén Domínguez were also sentenced to life imprisonment.

The oral and public trial began on April 29, 2019 and accumulated 13 files where 19 people were tried, accused of crimes against humanity, which make them imprescriptible crimes.

Since that date, more than 300 witnesses have testified, according to the Argentine organization, which valued it as "a conclusive ruling that ratifies the fundamental role played by the Army in the systematic plan of human rights violations during the last civil-military dictatorship".