KABUL: Two Afghan military officials were jailed for 20 years after a two-year trial for sharing state secrets with Pakistan, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.
The sentence highlights a long-standing belief between Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan that the other country does not adequately prevent cross-border militant attacks.
Shah Mohammad and Nazirullah were arrested in 2016.
They pleaded not guilty but eventually "confessed to their crime" before the military court in the eastern city of Jalalabad, officials said.
"Each of them has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the primary court," said Najiburrahman Nadim, a military prosecutor.
Nadim said the accused had shared secret information about attacks and bomb blasts.
A defence lawyer representing the two army officials rejected the court´s verdict, which was delivered on Tuesday. "My clients were beaten during the investigations and they were forced to confess.
We don´t accept the decision and we will appeal," said Toryalai Muqanen.
Heavy snow warning urges residents to "refrain from operating vehicles, engaging in outdoor activities"
Greer played key role in negotiations leading to the "Phase 1" trade deal with China, signed in January 2020
Move will allow Trump's team to coordinate directly with federal agencies and access documents
Committee and State Department have been wrangling over Blinken's appearance for months
"We have nothing to defend him and we are not involved," says India's ruling party spokesperson
Rescue efforts being hampered by continuous rain; search efforts to continue until Saturday
