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3 Nepalese Army Officers Jailed for Torturing Teenage Girl


The Nepalese military says three army officers have been jailed after being convicted of torturing a teenage girl, who died in army custody last year.

Military officials told reporters in Kathmandu Wednesday, that a court martial found the officers guilty of criminal negligence in the death of the 15-year-old girl, who was held as a suspected Maoist guerrilla in February 2004.

The officers - a Colonel and two Captains - each were handed a six-month jail sentence last week.

The colonel is the highest ranking military officer jailed for human rights abuses, although scores of junior officers and soldiers have been punished since the Nepalese army was deployed in 2001 to crush the Maoist rebellion.

Maoist rebels have waged a violent campaign since 1996 to establish a communist state in Nepal.

Human rights groups have accused both sides of committing atrocities.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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