On August 14, A court in Guatemala gave suspended sentences...

On August 14, A court in Guatemala gave suspended sentences of up to 5 years to a group of 25 soldiers for killing 11 Indians, including 2 children, at a farm in the northern province of Xaman in 1995, in the last stages of the country's civil war. This was the first time that members of the military had been put on trial for violating human rights. The court decided to dismiss the more serious charges, such as those for extrajudicial executions. Prosecutors had asked for the death penalty for all 25 men for crimes against humanity. The court found that the soldiers - who are mostly young Indians themselves - had no intention of committing the massacre, but had "acted imprudently" by entering the farm where the victims had taken refuge. The soldiers were given the option of buying off their prison time at a rate of 5 Quetzals, just over $0.50, for each day of their sentences. Some of the defendants had been in custody awaiting trial for 4 years. The verdict has infuriated human right groups which have questioned the fairness and independence of Guatemala's legal system. "This sentence was negotiated between the judges and the army," Maria Estela Lopez, a legal representative for the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation, said. Lopez said this showed that there was still impunity for human rights violators in Guatemala.