Court Affirms 30-Year Term for Hasenfus

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — The People’s Tribunal appeals court today confirmed the 30-year prison sentence for convicted American mercenary Eugene Hasenfus.

Hasenfus arrived at the court in the custody of Interior Ministry officials and guarded by two officers from the Office of State Security. He showed no emotion when the expected confirmation of sentence was read in Spanish and English.

He was led immediately back to the prison just outside Managua where he has been held since his capture. Hasenfus was originally sentenced Nov. 15 by a People’s Revolutionary Tribunal made up of a lawyer, a truck driver and a laborer.

The former Marine was captured Oct. 6, one day after he was shot down in a plane ferrying arms to the anti-Sandinista contra rebels. Three others aboard the plane--two Americans and a Nicaraguan--were killed in the crash.

Appeal Automatic

Hasenfus, 45, of Mariette, Wis., was convicted of violating public security laws, terrorism and criminal association.

Hasenfus’ defense attorney did not appeal the sentence, but the guilty verdict was automatically reviewed, according to Nicaraguan law, by the higher appeals triburnal. The body that acted today was made up of a lawyer, a carpenter and a clerk.

The tribunal system, which is outside the regular law courts, was created by the Sandinista government to try those defendants considered counterrevolutionaries.

Wisconsin Gov. Anthony S. Earl disclosed Wednesday that Nicaraguan Vice President Sergio Ramirez told him during a recent Wisconsin visit that Earl will be contacted in January concerning Hasenfus’ fate.

Ramirez and several Nicaraguan Embassy officials visited Wisconsin in November.

“He said he would be in touch . . . and I would expect to hear from them some time in January. So I have not been surprised or disappointed I have not heard from them since,” Earl said.

Hasenfus’ wife, Sally, is in Managua and it is believed that she will be there until Christmas.