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Buenos Aires: A court has sentenced one of Argentina's most feared former military leaders to life in prison for the 1977 kidnapping, torture and killing of four leftist activists.
Luciano Benjamin Menendez, 81, was commander of the regional Third Army Corps in Cordoba for five years during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship and controlled one of the regime's most notorious torture centres.
Hours before the sentencing, an unrepentant Menendez read a statement in front of television cameras in the courtroom saying the regime's repression had been justified in the face of a leftist militant threat. "We had to take appropriate measures," he said, enraging activists one of whom screamed "genocide" and had to be removed from the courtroom.
Menendez, who was already under house arrest for previous "dirty war" convictions, will be transferred to a prison following Thursday's conviction and sentencing.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the courtroom - many holding placards and pictures of the alleged victims - erupted into cheers upon hearing the verdict, which was read on local television stations.
Landmark
The verdict was considered important both because of Menendez's gruesome reputation and because he was ordered to serve the rest of his sentence in prison. Many convicted former military officers are serving their sentences under house arrest, as allowed by an Argentine law that applies to those over 70 years old or of poor health. A court can choose to send them to prison anyway, however, as was the case with Menendez.
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