The decapitated body of Georgiy Gongadze was found in a woodland grave in November 2000.

A court imposed a 13-year sentence on Mykola Protasov, and 12-year sentences on Valeriy Kostenko and Oleksandr Popovych, the BBC reported.

Gongadze was a critic of former Leonid Kuchma, who was president of Ukraine from 1994 to 2005. Tape recordings allegedly linked Kuchma to the killing, but he has never been charged.

The three former police officers were convicted of carrying out the killing under orders. Oleksiy Pukach, former head of surveillance for the Interior Ministry, is being sought on an international arrest warrant.

Demonstrations after the killing came to light helped spark the Orange Revolution.