The Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia delivers its inaugural individual sentences, highlighting a commitment to victims’ justice and reconciliation following the 2016 peace agreement.
Bogotá, Colombia – Seven former leaders of the disbanded FARC rebel group have been sentenced for their roles in the kidnapping of thousands during a protracted conflict with the Colombian government.
On Tuesday, these landmark rulings were issued by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), which represents a significant step in Colombia’s restorative justice initiative established under the 2016 peace accord.
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Formed in 2017, the JEP mandated “appropriate sanctions” for the convicted leaders, which include eight years of reparative work focused on land mine clearance and efforts to locate missing individuals.
The conflict, lasting over five decades, has led to more than 450,000 fatalities, with the Truth Commission documenting over 50,000 kidnappings from 1990 to 2018, with FARC deemed responsible for roughly 40% of those incidents.
In its announcement, the JEP asserted, “These individuals held high-ranking positions within the FARC-EP and were deemed legally accountable for war crimes, including hostage-taking and murder.”
The sentenced FARC leaders comprise Rodrigo Londono Echeverri (alias Timochenko), Pablo Catatumbo Torres Victoria, Pastor Lisandro Alape Lascarro, Milton de Jesus Toncel Redondo, Jaime Alberto Parra, Julian Gallo Cubillos, and Rodrigo Granda Escobar.
Londono, notably the group’s top commander, alongside Catatumbo and Gallo, currently hold senator positions allocated per the terms of the peace agreement.
“Nearly a decade after the peace accord was signed, a transitional court has now clarified what these alternative penalties will entail,” stated Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst on Colombia for the International Crisis Group.
Dickinson emphasized that these sentences illustrate a model for restorative justice within Colombia’s peace framework, underscoring the need to provide victims with a sense of closure.
As part of their reparative obligations, the former combatants are also tasked with projects to honor victims’ memories, aid in demining efforts, and assist in identifying missing persons.
Moreover, these leaders will face movement restrictions, utilizing electronic monitoring to ensure adherence to their community service commitments.
“This ruling can reinvigorate the peace process initiated in 2016 because, without the prospect of justice, advancing towards reconciliation has proven challenging,” added Dickinson.
While the majority of FARC fighters received amnesty under the peace treaty, the group’s leadership committed to a restorative justice approach entailing disarmament, cooperation in truth-seeking, admission of their crimes, and non-re-engagement in hostilities.
Individuals who fully cooperate with truth disclosures are subject to reparative responsibilities ranging from five to eight years, whereas those who fail to comply risk imprisonment of up to 20 years.
This ruling represents just one of the eleven significant cases, known as “macrocases,” currently under investigation by the JEP. A ruling on individual sentences for former government military personnel is expected to be announced on Thursday.