[JURIST] In the wake of increased international pressure, a military court in Nepal has sentenced an army colonel and two captains to six months in jail for their involvement in the 2004 death of a 15-year old teenage girl accused of being a Maoist rebel. The court noted that Colonel Bobby Khatri and his men failed to follow proper procedure when interrogating the girl, and were ultimately responsible for her death. According to the human rights group Informal Sector Service Center [advocacy website], the ongoing battle between the government and Maoist rebels [SAAG backgrounder; HRW report] has resulted in the deaths of nearly 300 civilians at the hands of the police. Earlier this month, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture visited the nation and concluded that the use of "torture and ill-treatment is systematically practiced by the police" [UN press release; JURIST report]. AFP has more.