The issuance of the first sentences by Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) marks a turning point for transitional justice in the country. These are historic convictions against those most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the armed conflict. They constitute the realization of justice and express both judicial and moral condemnation of the atrocities committed. The JEP's sentences, as well as the regular appearance of those responsible before the tribunal over the last eight years, are a concrete expression of the implementation of and commitment to the 2016 Peace Agreement.
The sanctions imposed by the JEP have two dimensions: restorative projects and effective restrictions on freedoms and rights, both of which require the solid commitment of all relevant state entities to ensure their prompt and effective implementation. Restorative projects must be financed and executed with unprecedented institutional support. This is a novel institutional commitment that no other national, international, or hybrid court has undertaken. Its implementation will test capacities and will be decisive in ensuring that the sentences transcend the merely symbolic and translate into actions that contribute to redress and reparation for victims, legal certainty for those convicted, and guarantees of non-repetition.
The JEP is now a benchmark for the international community because of its ability to offer innovative approaches through a justice mechanism that enables negotiated solutions to armed conflicts, guaranteeing justice and the centrality of victims. In a world where armed conflicts persist, Colombia continues to be a beacon that illuminates a horizon of justice and humanity that we must not give up on.
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PHOTO: Former members of last secretariat of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army appear before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace during the acknowledgment hearing for Case 01 held in June 2022. (Maria Margarita Rivera/ICTJ)
