Colombia - September 2025

On 16 and 18 September, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP)—Colombia’s transitional justice mechanism created under the 2016 Peace Accord—delivered its first rulings. The tribunal issued sentences against top FARC commanders for more than 21,000 kidnappings and against former military involved in ‘false positives’—the execution of civilians falsely reported as killings of combatants. After years of investigation and dialogue with victims and perpetrators, the rulings open the JEP’s restorative sanctions phase, which emphasises truth, accountability and reparation measures over imprisonment. Former FARC leaders and ex-military members will serve eight years of community service, which could involve identifying common graves and demining territories. Though critics question the leniency of the sentences and some victims expressed frustration over their limited participation in the process, supporters highlight that armed actors have publicly admitted responsibility, asked forgiveness and committed to repair the harm.

Sources: El Pais, BBC, La Silla Vacia (1), La Silla Vacia (2)