A Bogota court Monday closed all investigations into the M-19 guerrillas who participated in the 1985 Palace of Justice siege.
The decision refers to those M-19 guerrillas who disappeared either during or after the siege and whose deaths were never established civilly or procedurally, RCN reported Tuesday.
The court recognized that the guerrillas could be considered guilty of war crimes. However it ordered the proscription of criminal proceedings because the Colombian constitution recognizes that it is not the fault of defendants if the investigation against them has not progressed, according to RCN.
The lawyer for the victims involved in the case expressed his disappointment in the decision.
The prosecutor general is expected to appeal the decision.
Former colonel Alfonso Plazas Vega is currently on trial for his part in the disappearance of eleven civilians who were caught up in the M-19’s occupation of the Palace of Justice. The civilians were saved from the building by the army, but later disappeared. 24 years after the crisis no-one has been convicted for the victims’ disappearance.
