Former leader gets life sentence
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From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam was sentenced to life imprisonment, ending a 12-year trial on charges of genocide and other crimes committed during his rule.
Mengistu, tried in absentia, is unlikely to ever spend a day behind bars, however, as he lives comfortably in exile in Zimbabwe, which says it won’t deport him as long as he refrains from political activity.
Eleven of the former ruler’s top officials were also sentenced to life, and 47 other aides received sentences of up to 25 years, said lead judge Medhin Kiros.
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