Argentine judges sentence ex "lautaristas" activists to 3 years and 6 months in prison

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ZAPALA.- Following a condensed hearing that lasted only an hour and a half, the two former members of the extremist Lautaro Youth Movement group, Marcelo Villarroel and Freddy Fuentevilla, were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for illegal possession of combat weapons. The two men were arrested after getting into a fight at a local pub.

The judges presiding over the case decided to issue the minimum sentence after Villarroel and Fuentevilla plead guilty to possession of arms and to the charges they faced.

In the Argentine courtroom, the defendants took advantage of the occasion to issue statements of discontent, as well as blame the press and the Chilean police force for setting them up – claiming that they had fled to Argentina in fear of losing their lives.

Furthermore, the two men petitioned the judges for improved treatment on the part of Argentine law enforcement, claiming that they have been locked up for 20 hours each day during their 105 days at the Nequén high-security prison.