The Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that FARC guerillas who are found guilty of crimes against humanity will be banned from politics, local media reported.
The bill, voted through despite opposition to its leniency, will be integrated in the Legal Framework for Peace, according to national newspaper El Pais.
MORE: Congress approves first draft of framework for peace
The ruling, presented by Judge Martha Sachica, states that guerillas who have been convicted of “political offenses, crimes against humanity or genocide committed in a systematic manner can not participate in politics or be elected to public office,” according to La Fm.
A statute is to regulate the type of crimes for which demobilized guerrillas can participate in policy and for which they can not. This gives the prosecution a key role in the outcome of investigations and convictions for such offenses featuring fighters.
The bill leaves room for guerrillas who have only been convicted for minor offenses to participate in politics. Former Vice Minister of Defense Rafael Guarin tried to stop the bill by filing a lawsuit, claiming that political limitations should extend to those who were involved in terrorist acts, drug trafficking, and other war crimes.
The lawsuit was overruled, and after two and a half hours of discussion, the bill was passed by a vote of six to three.
SOURCES
- Corte Constitucional dio vía libre al Marco Jurídico para la Paz (La Fm)
- Guerrilleros condenados por delitos de lesa humanidad no podrán hacer política: Corte (El Pais)