Guatemala's ex-president charged guilty of genocide

GUATEMALA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A court Friday declared Guatemala 's former president Efrain Rios Montt (1982-1983) guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Rios Montt, 86, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the first crime, and 30 years in prison for the second.

The country's First Court president Jasmin Barrios read out the charges against Rios Montt and his chief of intelligence, Gen. Mauricio Rodriguez.

The former president was charged of being the "intellectual author" of killing 1,771 Ixil Mayans indigenous Indians in Quiche.

Following the closing arguments Friday of the trial which began March 19, Judge Barrios announced the verdict declaring Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity, incommutable.

The court absolved the former head of intelligence of both charges.

Guatemala's Attorney General had been asking for a 75-year jail sentence for Rios Montt and Rodriguez, arguing that both had knowledge of the killing being committed in Guatemala at the time.

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