Cuba hijackers 'get life terms'

Version 0 of 1.

Two Cuban soldiers have been sentenced to life in prison over a hijacking attempt in May that left two people dead, a Cuban rights group has said.

Sergeants Yoan Torres Martinez and Leandro Cerezo Sirut, with several other soldiers, escaped from their barracks and tried to flee to the US.

The group evaded capture for several days before authorities prevented their hijacking attempt at Havana airport.

Three other soldiers received 15- to 30-year sentences over the incident.

A guard at the barracks was killed as the deserting soldiers escaped on 29 April.

On 3 May, the armed group seized a bus and took several hostages as they attempted to hijack a plane at Jose Marti airport in Havana.

The hijacking attempt ended in a fierce gunfight at the airport and one of their hostages, an army colonel, was killed.

Relatives of Sergeant Martinez, aged 21, had feared he would be sentenced to death. According to Cuban law, only people 21 or older can be executed.

Sergeant Sirut, 20, and the other soldiers are below that age.