KABUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The three alleged American private jail runners who were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from eightto 10 years Wednesday, rejected the accusations as baseless.

    The ring leader Jonathan Idema said his work had been approved by the Afghan and US authorities.

    "I was in contact with the US Task Force 180 and had meetings with Afghan officials including President Karzai," Idema told the court while rejecting the allegations.

    The ex-American soldier Idema and his team which included two Americans and four Afghans were arrested in July last from a housein Kabul where eight civilians had been held illegally.

    Idema and his right hand man Brent Bennett were sentenced to 10years imprisonment each while his third colleague received eight years jail.

    "Jonathan Idema and Brent Bennett each was sentenced to 10 years in jail and Edward Coraballo to eight years," presiding Juege Abdul Baset Bakhtyari told the audience at the conclusion of seven-hour hearing which ended at 4 PM local time.

    Idema also claimed that he worked for Pentagon but it denied any contact with the bounty hunter.

    Prosecutor Mohammad Naim Dawary accused the gang of illegally entering Afghanistan, running private jail, abducting and torturing civilian Afghans under the mask of fighting terrorism and seizing their properties.

    Idema and his ring, the prosecutor added, entered Afghanistan through India illegally on last April.

    Defense lawyer Robert Fogelnest rejected the charge as baseless,saying: "It is ridiculous to claim they entered illegally under these circumstances."

    "The judgment is not the final one and they can appeal against it in higher courts," presiding judge Bakhtyari told the defendants at the conclusion of proceeding. Enditem