Chile's Supreme Court on Friday sentenced a citizen to prison for the first time for crimes committed during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
Until yesterday, only military and police officers had been convicted by the courts of this South American country for such crimes.
The Supreme Court has sentenced Juan Francisco Lucoro Montenegro to 20 years in prison for a quadruple homicide in September 1973 in the community of Payne, south of the capital.
According to the ruling, which was posted on the court's website, citizens, landowners or truckers had been actively involved, alongside police, in the transfer of political prisoners. Among those citizens was Juan Lucoro, president of the Payne Public Truck Owners Association.
The four victims had voluntarily reported to the community police station. They were arrested, beaten and taken out of Paine, where they were shot by "police" and "civilians", according to the decision.
The Supreme Court also ordered the Chilean state to pay 2,2 million pesos (almost 3 million euros) to the families of the victims.