Judge Verónica Ester Pena Molina sentenced retired colonels Nelson Coitinho, 80, and Hugo Garciacelay, 72, as criminally responsible co-perpetrators of the crime of homicide, especially aggravated with malice predmeditation.

The newspaper El Observador reported that Coitinho was sentenced to 22 years in prison and Garciacelay to 20 years.

The sentence refers to the death at the headquarters of Artillery Group 1 of communist militant Julián Basilicio López, 66 years old, married, father of three children and retired.

The victim died on January 5, 1976 as a result of the beatings and torture to which he was subjected.

“In particular, a tremendous beating that caused the convicted massive bleeding, which occurred under interrogation and torment”, the court ruled.

The sentence stated that “once the death was confirmed, knowing that it was under torture, the hierarchy of the unit ordered the preparation of a file in the military justice system to simulate Lopez’s death as a suicide”.

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