Soldiers sentenced to 30-50 years in Colombia
May 26, 2012, 12:56 AM
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A Colombian court has sentenced six soldiers to prison sentences of between 30 and 50 years for killing a mentally disabled man and falsely reporting his death as a guerrilla killed in combat.
The sentences handed down Friday come in one of the most emblematic human rights cases in Colombia in recent years.
The 50-year sentences went to an army major and lieutenant. Four enlisted men got 30 years. All were convicted in March.
The case stems from the January 2008 disappearance of 26-year-old Fair (FAH-EAR) Leonardo Porras of Soacha, a town just south of Bogota. He was lured to the northeastern town of Ocana with the promise of a job and killed.
Ten other men from Soacha met the same fate. Their cases are being decided in separate trials.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)