Armed Forces commanders whose soldiers are found guilty of murdering civilians will have to respond for the crimes committed under their command, Colombia’s Supreme Court ruled.
According to newscast CM&, the court ordered the Prosecutor General’s Office to start an investigaton into the commander of a counterguerrilla batallion whose soldiers killed civilians and reported their victims as guerrillas killed in combat.
Through the order, the Supreme Court obliges the PG’s Office to not just investigate those directly involved in the extrajudicial killings of civilians, but also those who order the operations in which the crimes were committed.
The Armed Forces are studying the consequences for its organization, CM& reported.
So far, almost 1,300 members of the armed forces are suspected of having killed civilians to make the army’s fight against guerrillas look more effective.
