The Supreme Court of Chile condemns seven retired soldiers for the kidnapping and murder of Víctor Jara in 1973

MADRID, 29 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Supreme Court of Chile has handed down a final sentence for the kidnapping and murder of the singer and political activist Víctor Jara, which took place in September 1973 during the coup d'état by Augusto Pinochet, and has confirmed the sentence to 25 years in prison against seven ex-military

The Second Chamber of the court has indicated this Monday in a unanimous ruling that the convicted - now retired - are responsible for the crimes of kidnapping and qualified homicide of the singer-songwriter and prison director Littré Quiroga Carvajal.

Two weeks after the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the coup, the Supreme Court has thus ratified the sentence appealed from the Santiago Court of Appeals, ruling out any error in the sentence, according to a press release from the judicial body.

The convicted are Raúl Jofré González, Edwin Dimter Bianchi, Nelson Haase Mazzei, Ernesto Bethke Wulf, Juan Jara Quintana and Hernán Chacón Soto, who must serve 15 years and one day in prison as perpetrators of the homicides, and ten years and one day for the kidnappings.

In addition, Rolando Melo Silva will serve five years and one day for having covered up the homicides, and three years and one day for having covered up the kidnappings.

On the other hand, the Public Treasury must pay each of the plaintiffs, spouse and children of Quiroga Carvajal 150 million Chilean pesos (just over 160,000 euros), while it must indemnify his brothers with 80 million pesos (86,400 euro). He must also pay 150 million pesos to Jara's widow and children.

During the coup led by General Pinochet against President Salvador Alllende, on September 11, Jara was arrested along with other teachers and students and transferred to the Chile Stadium --which currently bears his name--. There he was tortured for hours and was finally riddled with bullets.

In 2016, a United States court found former Chilean military officer Pedro Barrientos guilty of torture and extrajudicial execution of the artist, following a civil lawsuit filed by his family, forcing him to pay compensation for damages.