A military court in Sierra Leone has sentenced 24 soldiers to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in a failed coup attempt against President Julius Maada Bio last November.
Sentences handed down late Friday ranged from 50 to 120 years for those convicted.
The 24 were among 27 individuals court-martialed for their roles in the November 26th insurrection, which involved attacks on military barracks, two prisons, and other sites.
The attack led to the escape of approximately 2,200 inmates and resulted in over 20 deaths.
The sentencing follows the imprisonment of 11 civilians, including police and prison officers, in July for their participation in the failed coup.
The seven-member military jury, after hours of deliberation, found most of the accused soldiers guilty on charges including mutiny, murder, aiding the enemy, and theft of public or service property.
Among those sentenced, a lieutenant colonel received the harshest penalty of 120 years.
Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba, a former military officer, stated, “The sentences are meant to convey a zero-tolerance message towards such acts in the military.”
Of the remaining three individuals, one was acquitted, another had been sentenced earlier for a guilty plea, and the trial for the third is ongoing.
Family members of the convicted soldiers were seen weeping as the sentences were announced.
The coup attempt followed a contentious election in which President Bio narrowly secured a second term.
His victory was contested by the main opposition APC party, and the election’s transparency was questioned by some local and international observers.
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