Former Colombian rebel leaders recognize role in kidnappings

22/6/2022 13:55

        A group of former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said Tuesday that the guerrilla organization was responsible for war crimes, including the kidnapping of thousands of civilians for ransom and also holding politicians as hostages for several years in the hopes of exchanging them for imprisoned rebels.
        
        The former FARC leaders recognized their role in these crimes during a hearing held by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a tribunal created following a 2016 peace deal between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government.
        
        The peace tribunal is in charge of investigating war crimes committed during the five decade long conflict between the FARC and the Colombian government and finding ways in which victims can be compensated.
        
        Under the terms of the peace deal, former combatants who collaborate with the tribunal can avoid prison sentences but will have to participate in restorative justice schemes that will be determined by the special peace tribunal along with victims.
        
        The peace tribunal says that so far, it has registered more than 3,000 people as victims of kidnappings conducted by the FARC, before the group demobilized in 2016, although the number of total victims could exceed 20,000, according to databases compiled by human rights groups.