Colombia’s war crimes tribunal ordered to suspend the extradition of a demobilized guerrilla leader who was accused by the United States of involvement in drug trafficking.
According to war crimes tribunal magistrate Jesus Angel Bobadilla, the court had not received evidence that would merit either the release or the extradition of FARC leader “Jesus Santrich.”
The court ordered the prosecution to surrender the evidence that would sustain the drug trafficking charge within five days in order to take a final decision.
Until then, the FARC’s long-time ideologue will remain in custody, according to local media.
?|| JEP avoca conocimiento y ordena suspensión del trámite de extradición que cursa en contra de Seuxis Paucias Hernández Solarte. pic.twitter.com/RCu3obCuwm
— JEP (@JurisdiccPaz) May 17, 2018
Santrich, whose real name is Seuxis Hernandez, has been upholding a hunger strike since April 9, the day he was arrested on a claim he tried to export 10 tons of cocaine to the US.
The long-time FARC ideologue has claimed to be the victim of a “set-up.” The prime suspect in the alleged drug trafficking deal, a nephew of FARC leader “Ivan Marquez,” has been collaborating with US authorities.
The extradition request and arrest of the prominent former rebel ideologue plunged Colombia’s peace process into crisis.
While Santrich went on a hunger strike, the FARC’s political chief warned that the death or extradition of his friend would mean the end of the peace process that seeks to end more than half a century of armed conflict.