Appeals court upholds $4 million verdict in Chilean torture case News
Appeals court upholds $4 million verdict in Chilean torture case

[JURIST] The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals [official website] has upheld a $4 million verdict against a former Chilean Army officer for the killing of a political prisoner during the 1973 coup in Chile [JURIST Countries archive]. The 2003 jury verdict was the first for a charge of crimes against humanity. Winston Cabello's family had sued Armanda Fernandez Larios, who served as a bodyguard to a leading Chilean general in the coup, over Cabello's killing during the coup. The 11 Circuit's per curiam opinion [text, PDF] rejected appeals of a statute of limitations violation, the jury's findings, the admission of certain evidence against Fernandez, who currently lives in Florida. The appeals court ruled the Alien Tort Claims Act [text] statute of limitations barred a similar case [JURIST report] against Salvadoran generals last month. AP has more.