Italy Sentences 7 for Selling Arms to Iraq
Seven employees of an Italian weapons company have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 22 months for selling millions of anti-tank mines to Iraq during its war with Iran, according to a news report.
The Italian company, Valsella Meccanotecnica, sold about 9 million mines to Iraq for $180 million between 1982 and 1985 without proper export licenses, the prosecution said during the trial.
The defendants, all employees or sales people affiliated with the firm, contended that the government was aware of the arms sales. On Wednesday, they received sentences ranging from 18 to 22 months.
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