Nine years in prison for ex-Albania ruler

TIRANA - Ramiz Alia, Albania's last communist ruler, was convicted yesterday and sentenced to nine years in prison for violating the rights of Albanian citizens while he was in power. A three-judge panel reached the verdict partly on the testimony of former political prisoners and others who said their rights were violated while Mr Alia was president. Mr Alia said that charges against him were trumped up for political reasons. AP