In Colombia, false positives' ruling paves the way for new convictions

"In the early 2000s, a scandal broke in Colombia when it was revealed that military officers were carrying out summary executions of innocent civilians and listing them as guerrillas killed in combat. These so-called false positives took place in different regions of the country between 2002 and 2008 and were used as proof of performance by military units and to collect kill fees awarded by the then-government of president Alvaro Uribe."

"After eight years of investigation by Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the tribunal issued its first ruling on Thursday, sanctioning 12 mid-level commanders. However, three higher-ranking officers remain under investigation; they represent the top command level of the La Popa Infantry Battalion in Valledupar, where the killings cited in this week's ruling took place. Unlike the 12 sanctioned officers who were in command when 127 civilians were killed and presented as combat casualties the three retired colonels did not acknowledge responsibility."

"One of the most notorious names in the La Popa Battalion false positives scandal is Publio Hernan Mejia, a retired colonel who was sentenced in 2013 by the Attorney General's Office to 19 years in prison for links to paramilitary groups while commanding that military unit between 2002 and 2003. When the Special Jurisdiction for Peace began operating in 2017, it took over all active or past cases involving military personnel and ex-guerrillas, annulled previous sentences, and launched an independent investigation."

Between 2002 and 2008 Colombian military units carried out summary executions of civilians and falsely presented them as guerrillas killed in combat, known as "false positives." Units used these killings as proof of performance and to collect government kill fees under President Alvaro Uribe. After an eight-year JEP investigation, the tribunal sanctioned 12 mid-level commanders tied to 127 civilian deaths in the La Popa Infantry Battalion. Three retired colonels from the battalion remain under investigation and face trials that could yield up to 20-year sentences. Testimonies describe medals, leave, cash, and special meals awarded for results. The JEP's cases form part of broader sub-cases involving 6,402 victims in total.

Read at english.elpais.com