Where the Silence Breaks | Ep 3 Colombia

"Although the 2016 peace agreement formally ended hostilities between the state and the FARC-EP rebels, sustaining peace has proven far more complex than signing it. This episode follows former members of the national army accused of carrying out the so-called falsos positivos (false positives) extrajudicial executions in which innocent civilians were executed, then falsely presented as combat casualties by the government as a way to bolster the numbers of enemies killed."

"The JEP applies a model of transitional and restorative justice centred on victims and with full guarantees of due process. Its mandate is to investigate, prosecute and sanction those most responsible for serious human rights violations. The system provides two pathways: a restorative process for those who acknowledge responsibility, provide full truth, and contribute to reparation and guarantees of non-repetition; and an adversarial process for those who do not."

"Currently, more than 17,000 individuals are appearing before the JEP, including former FARC-EP members, members of the armed forces, and civilian third parties. The jurisdiction has issued indictments for maximum responsibility, delivered restorative and adversarial sentences, and conditionally waived criminal prosecution for non-most-responsible individuals."

Colombia's peace process includes a transitional justice framework addressing extrajudicial killings known as falsos positivos, where innocent civilians were executed and falsely presented as combat casualties. Former military members confess to victims' families as part of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), established under the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian state and FARC-EP. The JEP applies restorative and adversarial justice models, investigating serious human rights violations and offering two pathways: restorative justice for those acknowledging responsibility and providing full truth, or adversarial proceedings for those refusing accountability. Over 17,000 individuals appear before the JEP, including former FARC-EP members, armed forces personnel, and civilian third parties, with the jurisdiction issuing indictments and sentences.

Read at www.aljazeera.com