“Timochenko”
The JEP accused Rodrigo Londoño, the current director of the demobilized guerrillas’ political party “Comunes,” of being one of the main promotors of the use of extortion and hostage-taking in 1982.
As commander of the FARC’s so-called Eastern Bloc, “Timochenko” allegedly gave direct orders to kidnap and kill members of the security forces between 1997 and 2014, three years after he became the FARC’s military commander.
This would mean Timochenko ordered not to release hostages until two years after he publicly announced the end of the FARC’s kidnapping practices.
In fact, the former guerrillas’ current political leader played a key role in the FARC’s kidnapping practices throughout his military career within the now-defunct illegal armed group, according to the JEP.
Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on Thursday accused eight former commanders of the demobilised FARC fighters of war crimes and crimes against humanity for taking hostages during the country’s internal armed conflict.
This is the first time since the signing of the 2016 peace deal that the JEP has attributed criminal responsibility to former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which demobilised to reintegrate with society.
“Depriving people of their freedom and setting conditions for their release, as well as their wellbeing, integrity, and life, was a war crime, especially the taking of hostages,” the JEP said in a statement read by magistrate Julieta Lemaitre.
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BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on Thursday accused eight former commanders of the demobilized FARC guerrillas of war crimes and crimes against humanity for taking hostages during the country’s internal armed conflict.
This is the first time since the signing of the 2016 peace deal that the JEP has attributed criminal responsibility to former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia(FARC), which demobilized to reintegrate with society.
“Depriving people of their freedom and setting conditions for their release, as well as their wellbeing, integrity, and life, was a war crime, especially the taking of hostages,” the JEP said in a statement read by magistrate Julieta Lemaitre.