Impunity feared in Colombia military justice law
Impunity feared in Colombia military justice law
By FRANK BAJAK and LIBARDO CARDONA
Published Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 10:09 am / Updated at 10:09 am
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - The crimes were shocking, even for a country hardened by the atrocities of decades of internal conflict.
Colombian troops had killed hundreds of innocent civilians for no apparent reason other than to boost rebel body counts, U.N. investigators found. Typically, the victims were down-on-their-luck men lured to their deaths with job promises, then dressed in military fatigues and registered as guerrillas slain in combat.
Five years after the scandal broke, only about one-sixth of the soldiers accused have gone to trial or pleaded guilty, and only a handful of those convicted held the rank of major or higher. In all, authorities are investigating some 3,900 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings involving security force members.
Human rights activists say they are afraid a new law pushed through Congress by President Juan Manuel Santos in June will make it even harder to pursue those responsible, particularly senior officers. The law, which is under review by the Constitutional Court, would broaden the military justice system's jurisdiction and narrow the definition of extrajudicial killings.
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http://www.omaha.com/article/20131013/AP15/310139949