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General says ICC should stay out of false positive cases

By Manuel Rueda, Editorial Director

Monday, May 03, 2010

Cases involving the illegal execution of Colombian citizens by the country´s security forces should be processed only within Colombia, said armed forces commander General Freddy Padilla, after journalists asked him to respond to revelations that the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) is investigating human rights violations by the Colombian Army.

“Why do we have to seek international courts to clear up a situation that pertains to Colombians” he continued “Colombians are honest people and we have proved to have rectitude, so Colombian justice merits our full support” he concluded.

Last week El Tiempo revealed that prosecutors at the ICC have asked their staff to monitor cases that are currently being held in Colombia against soldiers accused of killing citizens and then disguising them as dead guerrillas in order to show their superiors fake results, that would lead to promotions, monetary rewards and extra vacation time.

The practice is commonly known here as “false positives” and it is thought to have led to the deaths of more than 1,300 hundred citizens. 

Around 1,000 members of the military are currently under investigation for presumed involvement in false positive murders, but earlier this year 17 soldiers who had been detained for such crimes were released by a judge in Soacha because the State Attorney failed to press formal charges against them within 90 days of their arrest.

The army ordered these soldiers to confine themselves at a military base while their cases are reviewed, but the victims´ families are outraged and have called on the international community for support.

The release of the Soacha soldiers prompted the ICC to begin to monitor Colombia´s false positive cases, but the court has still not taken any formal actions against Colombian officials.