Three former leaders of a Sierra Leonean rebel group were sentenced to prison terms of between 45 and 50 years Thursday for their roles in the country's brutal 11-year civil war.

Alex Tamba Brima and Santigie Borbor Kanu were both sentenced to 50 years in prison while Brima Kamara was handed down a shorter sentence of 45 years.

The accused, separated by security guards in the courtroom, sat with their heads bowed as they listened to their sentences.

They were tried jointly and all found guilty last month for 11 of 14 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes surrounding the 1991-2002 civil war in which an estimated 50,000 people were killed.

DPA

Güncelleme Tarihi: 19 Temmuz 2007, 18:50