Overview

• The Special Jurisdiction for Peace sentenced 12 retired soldiers, including two colonels, to eight years of reparative work with restricted mobility for 135 murders and disappearances committed from 2002 to 2005 on the Caribbean coast.
• Sanctions require participation in building memorials and community centers in indigenous communities and providing services to victims’ families at designated reparation sites.
• The court has documented at least 6,402 ‘false positives’ cases from 2002 to 2008 during Álvaro Uribe’s presidency, and he denies the killings were government policy.
• Two days earlier, the tribunal imposed eight-year community reparations and mobility limits on top FARC leaders for mass kidnappings, drawing criticism from victims and rights groups who view the penalties as too lenient.
• Some senior officers, notably retired General Mario Montoya, have not admitted responsibility and could face ordinary prison, while the new sentences are subject to appeal and prior time in custody may count toward reductions.