The International Criminal Court (ICC) visited Colombia on Monday to review the framework for the peace process with rebel group FARC and the prosecution of the false positives murders.
On Monday the ICC delegates met with the High Commissioner for Peace, Sergio Jaramillo, and expressed their support for the peace talks between the Colombian government and rebel group FARC, while emphasizing Colombia’s obligation to meet the standards of the court.
Since 2004, Colombia has been under “preliminary examination” by the ICC. In November 2012 the court confirmed that the false positives killings, in which around 3,000 Colombian civilians were murdered and dressed as guerrillas to inflate the military’s body count, were state policy. Yet prosecution of these cases remains stagnant.
FACT SHEET: False Positives
MORE: Extrajudicial killings in Colombia were state policy: ICC
Also under discussion will be Colombia’s controversial military justice reform. According to sources, the ICC delegates have not expressed their opposition to the reform in principle, as long as justice remains effective.
MORE: HRW condemns Colombia military justice reform
The statuses of the parapolitics cases are also under review. Of the more than 11,000 politicians, officials, and businessmen who had ties to the paramilitary group, AUC, fewer than 50 have been sentenced.
TIMELINE: Parapolitics scandal
The ICC delegates have requested reports on forced displacement and sexual violence, and the measures that the military justice system is taking to prosecute these human rights violations. The justice system has failed to protect victims of sexual violence in conflict zones, and the perpetrators of thousands of sexual assaults each year go unpunished.
MORE: Sexual violence employed methodically in Colombia’s armed conflict
The ICC delegates also intend to review the military justice reform
Representative Ivan Cepeda assured that he would personally ask the ICC delegation for updates on the accusations he made against former president Alvaro Uribe regarding his involvement in the wiretapping scandal. Uribe has been accused of orchestrating a conspiracy with his spy agency and former paramilitary leaders to discredit Colombia’s Supreme Court.
MORE: Uribe involved in DAS, paramilitary conspiracy: El Tuso
Though the ICC has observed Colombia for almost ten years, it has yet to prosecute any cases. The delegates will remain in Colombia until this Friday 19.
Sources
- CPI llega Colombia a revisar marco para la paz y ‘falsos positivos’ (El Tiempo)
- La paz no puede incumplir el Estatuto de Roma: CPI (El Colombiano)
- Situation in Colombia (ICC)
