Overview

• Seven former FARC leaders were convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to more than 20,000 kidnappings, torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearances.
• All seven accepted responsibility under the tribunal’s recognition route, receiving restrictions on movement and eight years of community labor instead of prison.
• Restorative obligations include humanitarian demining, assisting in the search for missing persons and contributing to memorialization initiatives.
• UN leaders welcomed the milestone and said the Verification Mission will help monitor compliance, urging Colombian authorities to ensure the legal, budgetary, security and administrative conditions for enforcement.
• The court indicated its first sentences for former members of the public security forces are expected later this week, as UN officials cautioned that ongoing violence and recent cuts to human-rights protection budgets could hinder implementation.