A court-martial in Sierra Leone has found 13 soldiers not guilty on charges of mutiny and plotting to overthrow the government.
The soldiers, in detention for nearly 2 years, were acquitted and ordered freed on Thursday.
Fourteen soldiers were arrested at the Teko Military Barracks in Makeni in August 2013, and were put in maximum security prison for about eight months.
All 14 pleaded not guilty to the charges and were denied bail. Their trial began in April 2014 after civil society groups pressed for a trial. The 14th soldier was acquitted and discharged after the prosecution closed its case.
Justice Otto During noted that there was not sufficient evidence to support the charges against the 13.
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