Argentina: former navy captain 'angel of death' sentenced to life imprisonment

Two former Argentinian navy captains, one known as the “Angel of Death”, were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, for dictatorship-era human rights violations, committed between 1976 and 1983.

Alfredo Astiz and Jorge Eduardo Acosta were found guilty of involvement and torture of hundreds of political opponents and were amongst 54 others , who faced trial for crimes committed at the Naval Mechanical School.

The “Angel of Death” Astiz, was previously convicted of kidnapping, torturing and murdering two French nuns and a journalist and was already serving a life sentence. Though, he refused to apologise.

“The human rights organisations are groups of vengeance and persecution,” he said during the trial.

“I will never ask for forgiveness,” he said.

Acosta, nicknamed “The Tiger” had also been sentenced to life in prison in 2011, for other counts of torture, murder and forced disappearance.

Out of the 54 people indicted, 29 were sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison, 19 were given sentences ranging from eight to 25 years in jail and six were acquitted.

People hold up portraits of those who disappeared during Argentina's military dictatorship (Photo: Reuters)

Hundreds of people outside the courtroom celebrated as sentences were read. Some held a large poster with photos of the 54 defendants with a letter “P” for “perpetua,” referring to life sentences, scribbled over the men’s faces. Others held banners about the disappeared that read: “Tell us where they are.”

The trial was the largest and involved crimes against humanity committed against 789 people at the Naval Mechanics School — the era’s biggest clandestine torture center. An estimated 5,000 prisoners were held there. Some were drugged and later thrown alive from airplanes into the River Plate or to the sea in “death flights.”

“In Argentina’s history, the death flights will always be regarded as an incomparable monstrosity,” said human rights activist Eduardo Jozami.

“It’s key that this vision held by most Argentines has been ratified with this sentence,” he said.

Human rights groups estimate about 30,000 people were killed or disappeared during Argentina’s brutal 1976-1983 dictatorship.

“The reparation of victims and of society is only possible if the state complies with its obligations to investigate, sanction and reconstruct history,” said the Buenos Aires-based Center for Legal and Social Studies, which was part of the legal team representing plaintiffs in the case.