[JURIST] Agents of former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], were sentenced Friday for their role in the revenge killings of three political dissidents. Fifteen people were convicted in connection with the killings, which came after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the dictator in 1986. The prison terms range from five to 18 years with the highest sentence given to Alvaro Corbalan. Corbalan is a retired army major and former operative chief of the National Information Center [FAS backgrounder], Pinochet's security service. He and many others who were sentenced are presently in prison on other human rights violations committed during Pinochet's 1973-90 dictatorship.

According to details from the court, the 15 security agents picked up Jose Carrasco, and the two other dissidents at their homes on September 7, 1986 and then killed them in retaliation for the assassination attempt. A subsequent investigation showed that the victims were killed because they were known to be members of leftist groups, and that they were not involved with the attack on Pinochet. Pinochet died of a heart attack [JURIST report] in December 2006 without ever facing trial on multiple charges of tax evasion and human rights violations. AP has more.