Italy convicts Argentines in '70s deaths ('Disappeared' in Latin America)

[ck4829]

Five former members of Argentina's military were convicted Wednesday of murdering three Italians during the 1970s "dirty war" in the South American country.

A Rome court sentenced the men to life imprisonment, which is Italy's stiffest punishment. But all were tried in absentia, and it wasn't clear Argentina would hand them over.

The defendants — Jorge Eduardo Acosta, Alfredo Ignacio Astiz, Jorge Raul Vildoza, Hector Antonio Febres and Antonio Vanek — were convicted of kidnapping, torturing and murdering the Italians.

Four are under arrest in Argentina and face prosecution by federal courts there in connection with deaths and disappearances dating to the 1976-83 military dictatorship. Officials say Vildoza, a former navy captain, remains a fugitive.

During the dictatorship, at least 9,000 Argentines vanished — and presumably were killed — as the government rounded up leftist and other anti-government activists. Human rights groups put the figure at 30,000.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070314/ap_on_re_eu/italy_argentina

[mitchtv]

1. "disappeared"

Yeah, they drugged them and threw them out of planes over the South Atlantic. Then stole their children. A medieval jail is perfect for scum like them. Thank God for the Bravery of the 'Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo"

for those too young to remember, try to see "State of Seige", a Costa Garvas film about the Tupumaros of Uruguay.It is a faithfull account of the situation in the "El Sur" in those days. "Missing" covers the coup in Chile.