Romanian communist-era labour colony chief jailed for 20 years

Ioan Ficior, 89, a Romanian communist-era labour prison commander is escorted by police at the end of his trial in Bucharest, Romania, March 29, 2017. Inquam Photos/Liviu Florin Albei via REUTERS

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - An 89-year-old communist-era labour prison commander faces the rest of his life in prison after Romania's top court ruled on Wednesday he must stay 20 years behind bars for murder and crimes against humanity.

Ioan Ficior was sentenced for involvement in the deaths of 103 inmates at the Danube delta prison labour colony of Periprava, the second case of its kind since the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship in December 1989.