Argentine dictator jailed for 25 years

Argentina's last dictator has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for torture and kidnappings committed during the nation's 1976 to 1983 military regime.

Reynaldo Bignone, 82, was convicted along with five other former military officers on 56 charges involving torture, illegal detentions and other crimes in one of Argentina's largest torture centers, the Campo de Mayo military base. Human rights groups say that of the 4,000 dissidents taken there, only about 50 emerged alive.

The army-run base had a clandestine maternity centre where dissidents gave birth only to have officials take their babies away to be adopted by military families. The verdict was read out by judge Marta Milloc in an indoor stadium where many of those in attendance were family members of victims, who held up photos of their loved ones.