Protestor crucified in Paraguay

Tomas Velazquez, a protestor calling for the release of an imprisoned Paraguayan general, has been nailed to a cross outside of Asuncion's supreme court.

A crowd of people watched the crucifixion in the Paraguayan capital, in which Mr Velazquez was tied to a cross before having his hands nailed to the horizontal axis.

Draped in banners calling for the release of General Lino Oviedo, the Associated Press quoted Mr Velazquez as stating that the supreme court should "review this conviction".

"In 1998, Oviedo was convicted by a military tribunal but that is illegal in times of peace. We believe that he is being politically persecuted," he continued.

General Oviedo rose to prominence in the late 1980s and played a part in the overthrow of General Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguay's final military leader before the implementation of free elections.

He was issued with a ten-year sentence for an alleged role in a revolt against the first democratically elected president, Juan Carlos Wasmosy.

General Oviedo was arrested upon his return to Paraguay in 2004 after a period of exile in Brazil.