Colombia is considering completely complying with the statute of Rome
and thus allowing Colombian citizens to be tried before the
International Criminal Court (ICC) in cases of human rights violations,
Colombia’s Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez announced.
The announcement comes only days after the army sacked three high officials who are suspected of being involved in the disappearance and murder of eleven young men from Soacha, the visit of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights and only hours after Amnesty International published a devastating report on human rights in Colombia.
Colombia never recognized the ICC, because at the time the Pastrana administration was in the middle of peace talks with the FARC and was afraid the regulations of the court could frustrate possible progress.
Because the current government is in no way involved in peace talks with the country’s insurgent groups it should comply with the Statute of Rome, opposing Liberal Party said.
Bermúdez in reaction said the government is studying the possibility to comply with the Statute as soon as possible.