Colombia’s Prosecutor General Mario Iguarán moved trials against four prominent generals for their alleged links to paramilitary umbrella organization AUC from the country’s Military Tribunal to civilian criminal courts. The generals also lose their immunity.
The generals lose their immunity, because according to Iguarán, the crimes that are investigated “are unrelated to their mission or task”.
The alleged crimes of the four will be seen as committed by them as citizens and not in function. Therefore they will appear before civilian courts instead of the Supreme Court, which deals with crimes committed by State officials.
The four are accused of crimes against humanity and having had ties with AUC leader Salvatore Mancuso. They are suspected of having made deals with his paramilitary organization in Urabá, Antioquia and Córdoba. The four have always denied the accusations made by the paramilitary leader and other paramilitaries.
Moving the trials to lower court is in the advantage of the generals, who now have several possibilities to appeal the verdict.