MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguay's government says a court in Italy has sentenced 24 people to life in prison for their involvement in human rights crimes committed during the "Operation Condor" offensive by South American governments to hunt down dissidents within the region and beyond.

South American dictators set up Operation Condor in the 1970s as a coordinated effort to track down their opponents across borders and eliminate them.

An appeals court in Rome ruled Monday against members of the military, police and others who once formed part of the former dictatorships of Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Some of the convicted were Italian citizens.

The case was initiated 20 years ago by families of the victims.

The sentences were confirmed by Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa.