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Colombian Court Issues First Sentences for Ex-Soldiers over Civilian Killings
The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace sentenced 12 former soldiers to five to eight years of reparations work for 135 extrajudicial killings known as "false positives" occurring between 2002 and 2005.
- On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace sentenced 12 former soldiers from the La Popa battalion for 135 extrajudicial killings, marking its first military ruling in the 'false positives' scandal.
- Between January 2002 and July 2005, soldiers involved in the scheme lured civilians with false job promises, killed them, and reported them as combatants, targeting members of the Wiwa and Kankuamo Indigenous communities.
- The tribunal specified reparations that include eight years of reparations work, six infrastructure projects, memorials and community centres in Indigenous areas, plus restrictions on mobility and court monitoring.
- Because they accepted responsibility, the 12 convicted former soldiers will avoid prison and face restorative sanctions under JEP rules, while three other former La Popa officials could face up to 20 years and Publio Hernán Mejía, retired officer, faces separate proceedings.
- The verdict highlights the JEP's broader mandate as it follows an earlier sentence against seven former FARC commanders, documenting at least 6,402 'false positives' nationwide and at least 450,000 killed in the conflict.
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Attorney Sebastián Escobar referred to JEP's decision against 12 former members of the La Popa Battalion
·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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According to evidence, soldiers lured civilians with promises of jobs, then killed them and presented them as rebels killed in battle.
·Belgrade, Serbia
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ABC FOX Montana+31 Reposted by 31 other sources
Colombian court issues first sentences for ex-soldiers over civilian killings
A Colombian tribunal on Thursday issued its first sentences for former soldiers over the killing of civilians during the country's decades-long armed conflict, ordering 12 of them to carry out work including building memorials for their victims.
·Missoula, United States
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Total News Sources56
Leaning Left8Leaning Right11Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution37% Center, 36% Right
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources are Center, 36% of the sources lean Right
37% Center
L 27%
C 37%
R 36%
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