Argentina dictatorship-era abuse case: 10 officials sentenced to life
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Amid a long-running abuse case, Argentina's court prosecuted 10 people in its latest batch and sentenced them to life in prison.
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A person holds up a sign that reads, "They are 30,000. It was genocide," in court where the public listens to the verdict for former police officers on trial for crimes against humanity during the 1976-1983 dictatorship, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP)
Ten Argentinians were sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping, torture, rape, and disappearance charges of over 400 victims during the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
Besides the life sentences, one defendant was given a 25-year sentence, while another was exonerated and released. Out of the 10 defendants, six have died since the trial began three years ago.
Reportedly, the victims were held in three of Argentina's "clandestine detention centers", located near Buenos Aires. Among the victims were 23 pregnant women, human rights organization Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo revealed. While some were given forced abortions, others had their newborns taken from them and given to families loyal to the regime at the time.
The defendants included police and detention officers, police and military doctors, and a former provincial minister, all of whom insisted on their innocence, including Miguel Etchecolatz, who had already been serving a life sentence when he died at the age of 93.
Following the recommencement of trials for crimes committed under the dictatorship in 2006, after a period of amnesty in the 1990s, judicial records indicate that 1,176 individuals have been convicted, 661 are presently in custody, and 79 cases are still ongoing.
Milei's 'questionable' policies
This comes amid debates on Argentina's political path, which is reminiscent of the military dictatorship the country experienced decades ago, with the election of current president Javier Milei.
Milei has consistently downplayed the events of the Argentinian dictatorship, calling it a battle between the Left and Argentinian authorities, not a dictatorship, and challenged the 30,000 victims figure estimated by human rights organizations to have died or disappeared during the period, opting instead to reference 9,000 victims, a move critics argue is an attempt to whitewash the dictatorship era's history.
Milei has been scrutinized for his policies since his incumbency. In February, Argentina saw a saga of anti-government protests targeting Milei's economic reform plans.
Sputnik reported that authorities had interfered and assaulted protesters using batons, rubber bullets, and gas after protestors blocked the roads, causing traffic. However, protesters were not deterred and continued protesting in front of the congressional building while lawmakers decided whether or not Milei's reforms would be approved.
In Argentina, police fired rubber bullets from bikes into a crowd of protesters.
— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) February 2, 2024
The security forces brutally dispersed the protest near the walls of the Argentine Congress, and there were practically no arrests - the police detained only three people. But rubber bullets and… pic.twitter.com/6PoL8OwL1Z
Read more: Argentina's Senate rejects Milei's deregulation package once again
