Former dictator Reynaldo Bignone was among four people sentenced to prison yesterday for the abduction of babies during the 1976-83 military dictatorship.

Ex-general Santiago Omar Riveros, military doctor Norberto Atilio Bianco, and obstetrician Luisa Yolanda Arroche de Sala García were also convicted for their role in kidnapping at least eight babies born at a clandestine maternity ward at the military hospital in the Campo de Mayo base.

Another doctor, Eugenio Martin, was acquitted.

In the second major trial dealing specifically with the kidnapping of babies, Riveros received the longest sentenced of 30 years, after the court ruled that he was legal responsible for the “theft, holding, and hiding” of four babies born in captivity. Bignone was given 16 years for committing the same crime in the case of two babies.

Both had previous sentences from other cases that were added to yesterday’s verdict, with Riveros facing a life sentence and Bignone 25 years behind bars.

Dr Biano was handed 13 years for the same crimes, while Arroche de Sala García, the only civilian among the accused, was given seven years for falsifying birth certificates so that other couples could raise the abducted babies.

The prosecution had sought even tougher sentences, and said it would appeal the decision to absolve Dr Martin in what it called a very “rigid” interpretation of legal responsibility.

“If I am the authority at the Military Hospital [as Martin was] and there are pregnant women being held their illegally, who then give birth and have their children taken away, the responsibility is clear,” said lawyer for the prosecution Martín Niklison

The judges’ verdict, which will be released in full early next year, said that there was sufficient doubt in several of the cases and so the convictions were only found in the clearest cases.

“We believe the facts were proven: the women were kidnapped, and they were pregnant,” contested Niklison.

The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, which earlier this month celebrated the recovery of the 116th missing grandchild, acted as a plaintiff in the case.

Former military ruler, Reynaldo Bignone, has been sentenced to life in jail for crimes against humanity as part of Argentina’s ‘Plan Cóndor’ trial.

Bignone, together with the former commander Santiago Riveros and three other soldiers, were sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison for crimes against 23 victims which were committed at the military base of Campo de Mayo.

Bignone was tried in the courts of San Martin, where he started the’Plan Cóndor’ trial in August 2012. The 85-year-old former dictator is already serving three other jail sentences for other crimes against humanity.

Bignone took over from dictator Leopoldo Galtieri after the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982 where he became Argentina’s last dictator. During his two-year reign, he destroyed all documents connected to the arrests, torture and killings of the disappeared.

So far under the ‘Plan Cóndor’ trial, the former commander of military institutes, Santiago Omar Riveros and ex-deputy commissioner Luis Abelardo Patti have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders, tortures, and kidnappings during the 1976-1983 military rule.

Former dictator, Reynaldo Bignone, refused to testify as the trial resumed this morning. Held in José León Suáre, Bignone’s testimony was due to be heard along with that of former police officer Luis Abelardo Patti.

The Human Rights trial continues alleging crimes against humanity were committed in the north of Buenos Aires during the dictatorship. Accusations include the kidnapping and murder of Gaston Gonçalves and Diego Muniz Barreto.

Bignone’s silence follows former General Santiago Omar Riveros’ refusal to testify at the end of last Thursday’s hearing.

In addition to Bignone and Patti, the former commissioner of Escobar during the dictatorship, Juan Fernando Meneghini, was due to testify today. He is expected to continue distancing himself from the accusations, and repeat explanations renouncing responsibility for what took place after the military took over the area. Ana Oberlin, who represents part of the lawsuit, said Meneghini “cannot claim to break away from the situations that occurred because as commissioner he had responsibilities.”

Human Rights organisations yesterday reiterated complaints that have been repeated in each of the trials around the country: “The only thing we want to hear is where are the desaparecidos and what happened to them, everything else does not interest us”.