Amnesty International has condemned the continued use of Colombia's military justice system to handle grave human rights abuses, labeling it a structural engine of impunity. In a new report, the organization stated that the Justicia Penal Militar, or JPM, systematically claims jurisdiction over cases involving homicide, torture, and enforced disappearances by soldiers and police. Ana Piquer, the group's Americas director, asserted that this practice is a deliberate obstacle to justice, not a simple error.
The rights group highlighted that this problem persists despite constitutional court rulings requiring such cases to be tried in ordinary civilian courts. Its analysis of hundreds of jurisdictional conflicts revealed that both military and civilian judicial authorities frequently misassign these investigations to the military system. This practice derails proceedings and denies victims justice, a pattern Amnesty International documented over decades in cases from the 1980s to recent protests.
A key issue is the constitutional provision placing the civilian National Police under military jurisdiction. The organization urged the Colombian government to pass a constitutional amendment removing the police from the military justice system. It also recommended legislative reforms to explicitly prohibit the JPM from investigating human rights crimes and to mandate the transfer of all such existing cases to civilian courts.
The rights group highlighted that this problem persists despite constitutional court rulings requiring such cases to be tried in ordinary civilian courts. Its analysis of hundreds of jurisdictional conflicts revealed that both military and civilian judicial authorities frequently misassign these investigations to the military system. This practice derails proceedings and denies victims justice, a pattern Amnesty International documented over decades in cases from the 1980s to recent protests.
A key issue is the constitutional provision placing the civilian National Police under military jurisdiction. The organization urged the Colombian government to pass a constitutional amendment removing the police from the military justice system. It also recommended legislative reforms to explicitly prohibit the JPM from investigating human rights crimes and to mandate the transfer of all such existing cases to civilian courts.
