An alleged FARC guerrilla captured with proofs of life of hostages in his possession was released after a judge ruled that his rights had been violated.
The suspect was arrested Saturday but did not appear before a judge until Monday. The judge ruled that the legal terms pertaining to the validity of his arrest were not adhered to by the police, and thus the suspect’s detention was unlawful.
In a press conference early Monday Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza announced that the proofs of life are not videos but photos.
According to Mendoza, the photos of ten members of the security forces were contained on a USB confiscated from alleged rebel Ramiro Valbuena Ospina.
The proofs of life “are photographs and details of armed forces personnel that have been kidnapped,” Mendoza stated at a Bogota press conference.
According to the army, the alleged guerrilla had come from the Meta department to Bogota to give the proofs of life to opposition senator Piedad Cordoba.
The FARC is holding 24 members of the security forces captive and is suspected of having kidnapped hundreds of civilians.
