Peru jails military officers for student massacre
LIMA, April 9 (Reuters) - A Peruvian court sentenced four former military officers to up to 35 years in jail for killing nine students and their professor because they were suspected of collaborating with left-wing guerrillas.
Former President Alberto Fujimori is also on trial over the La Cantuta massacre that occurred during his 1990-2000 rule, when the Andean country was battling leftist Shining Path rebels.
Prosecutors accuse him of ordering the Colina death squad to carry out the 1992 massacre. He denies the charges.
In a ruling late on Tuesday, former intelligence chief Julio Salazar was sentenced to 35 years in prison over the massacre, in which security forces seized the students from La Cantuta university, killed them and dumped their bodies in a shallow grave.
The country's top criminal anti-corruption court also jailed three former members of the Colina squad for 15 years, media reports said. Four other members were cleared.
Fujimori is also accused of ordering Colina to carry out the 1991 Barrios Altos massacre in which 15 people were gunned down at a neighborhood barbecue in Lima.
While in power, Fujimori defeated the guerrillas and brought order to a chaotic economy, but critics said he violated human rights to end a 20-year war in which nearly 70,000 people died or disappeared. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Writing by Helen Popper; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Former President Alberto Fujimori is also on trial over the La Cantuta massacre that occurred during his 1990-2000 rule, when the Andean country was battling leftist Shining Path rebels.
Prosecutors accuse him of ordering the Colina death squad to carry out the 1992 massacre. He denies the charges.
In a ruling late on Tuesday, former intelligence chief Julio Salazar was sentenced to 35 years in prison over the massacre, in which security forces seized the students from La Cantuta university, killed them and dumped their bodies in a shallow grave.
The country's top criminal anti-corruption court also jailed three former members of the Colina squad for 15 years, media reports said. Four other members were cleared.
Fujimori is also accused of ordering Colina to carry out the 1991 Barrios Altos massacre in which 15 people were gunned down at a neighborhood barbecue in Lima.
While in power, Fujimori defeated the guerrillas and brought order to a chaotic economy, but critics said he violated human rights to end a 20-year war in which nearly 70,000 people died or disappeared. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Writing by Helen Popper; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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