Relatives of “false positives” seek universal jurisdiction to bring Colombian ex-president Alvaro Uribe to justice in Argentina
GHRTV
16-11-2023
Alfredo Naim Navarrete Piter
International Justice and Human Rights Researcher
Global Human Rights Defence
Based on the principle of universal jurisdiction in international criminal law, former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002-2010) has been denounced before the Argentinean authorities to be investigated for the commission of crimes against humanity, specifically for the so-called "false positives" that occurred during his term in office, when he served as supreme commander of the armed forces and leader of the state apparatus in the fight against the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). Relatives of 11 of the victims in question, together with human rights organisations, filed a complaint on 7 November this year with the second Federal Court of Buenos Aires. In response, former president Uribe, through his social media, expressed that he is ready to face this new accusation by lawyers in the service of political causes.
the term "false positives" refers to extrajudicial executions of civilians by the Colombian armed forces, officially presented as deaths occurring in combat. According to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), a transitional justice mechanism established in the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC, at least 6,402 people were victims of this practice between 2002 and 2008. The JEP has acknowledged that these crimes would not have occurred without the army's institutional policy of body counts, the policy of incentives and the constant pressure by commanders on their subordinates to obtain combat casualties to demonstrate military success.
In relation to the legal system, the JEP was designed for the investigation, prosecution, trial and punishment of crimes against humanity committed directly or indirectly during and in connection with the armed conflict in Colombia. Appearance before the JEP is mandatory only for combatants, i.e. members of the FARC and the security forces, while state agents may appear voluntarily. However, for former presidents, the situation has different parameters. According to Articles 174 and 199 of the Colombian Constitution, the President of the Republic can only be tried politically by the Senate, following an accusation by the House of Representatives. In case of a criminal matter, the Senate refers the matter to the Supreme Court for resolution. In addition, Transitory Article 5 of the Peace Accord establishes that the norms concerning former presidents of the republic are not modified by the peace agreement. Given these limitations within Colombia, universal jurisdiction presents itself as an alternative avenue for victims seeking an acknowledgement of responsibility from former president Uribe.
With regard to the principle of universal jurisdiction and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and their provisions on criminal responsibility, it follows that States Parties have the possibility and obligation to search for offenders suspected of grave breaches, regardless of their nationality and the place of commission of the alleged offences anywhere in the world, in order to bring them before their courts or hand them over to other States Parties for trial. This principle seeks to prevent serious crimes, such as war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, from going unpunished, as they represent an attack on humanity as a whole.
As for the crimes against humanity mentioned by the complainants, Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 provides that, in non-international conflicts, the parties to the conflict must refrain at all times and in all places from extrajudicial executions of persons not taking part in the conflict. In addition, Article 8 of the Rome Statute protects persons to be tried from being deprived of their lives without due process. It should be noted that Argentina and Colombia have been States Parties to the Geneva Conventions since 1956 and 1961, respectively.
Given the challenges faced by the families of victims of "false positives" in seeking domestic justice, the principle of universal jurisdiction presents itself as a valuable resource. Recall that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights itself, in its 1998 annual report, recommended that American states adopt legislative and other measures necessary to invoke and exercise universal jurisdiction over individuals in matters of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In this sense, Argentina represents an attractive jurisdiction for plaintiffs as it has recognised the exercise of universal jurisdiction in jurisprudence. An example of this is criminal case 4591/2010, which investigates crimes against humanity committed in Spain during Franco's regime. The applicants in this case justified the competence of the Argentine judiciary and universal jurisdiction on the basis of article 118 of its constitution, in conjunction with Law 26.200, which implements the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Sources and further reading:
- Las víctimas del franquismo y el principio de jurisdicción universal: La causa argentina | Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica. (n.d.). Retrieved 16 November 2023, from https://memoriahistorica.org.es/3-las-victimas-del-franquismo-y-el-principio-de-jurisdiccion-universal-la-causa-argentina/
Agudelo Posada, J. J. (2018). Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz vs. jurisdicción ordinaria: ámbitos de competencia. Opinión Jurídica, 17(35), 281-297. https://doi.org/10.22395/ojum.v17n35a1 2
Alcance y aplicación del principio de jurisdicción universal: Declaración del CICR ante la ONU, 2017. (2017, November 27). [Declaración]. Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja. https://www.icrc.org/es/document/alcance-y-aplicacion-del-principio-de-jurisdiccion-universal-declaracion-del-cicr-ante-la
Caso 03: Asesinatos y desapariciones forzadas presentados como bajas en combate por agentes del Estado. (n.d.). Retrieved 15 November 2023, from https://www.jep.gov.co/macrocasos/caso03.html
CIDH. (1999). Informe Anual de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos 1998. https://www.oas.org/es/sla/ddi/docs/Recomendaci%C3%B3n_Comisi%C3%B3n_Interamericana_de_Derechos_Humanos.pdf
CNN Español. (2022, April 27). Qué son los falsos positivos en Colombia y cuáles son las revelaciones recientes. CNN. https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2022/04/27/falsos-positivos-que-son-colombia-revelaciones-orix/
Constitución Política de la República de Colombia. (1991, July 20). Secretaría General Del Senado. http://secretariasenado.gov.co/constitucion-politica
Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional. (1998). https://www.un.org/spanish/law/icc/statute/spanish/rome_statute(s).pdf
La JEP hace pública la estrategia de priorización dentro del Caso 03, conocido como el de falsos positivos. (n.d.). Retrieved 15 November 2023, from https://www.jep.gov.co:443/Sala-de-Prensa/Paginas/La-JEP-hace-p%C3%BAblica-la-estrategia-de-priorizaci%C3%B3n-dentro-del-Caso-03,-conocido-como-el-de-falsos-positivos.aspx
Loaiza, M. V. (2021, February 18). Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP) dice que hubo al menos 6.402 víctimas de “falsos positivos” en Colombia entre 2002 y 2008. CNN. https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/02/18/jep-falsos-positivos-colombia-6-400-2002-2008/
Los Convenios De Ginebra Del 12 De Agosto De 1949. (N.D.). CICR.
Mejía, P. M. (2023, November 9). El expresidente Álvaro Uribe fue denunciado por falsos positivos ante la justicia argentina. infobae. https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2023/11/09/alvaro-uribe-fue-denunciado-por-falsos-positivos-ante-la-justicia-argentina/
Muñoz, E. C., & Mantilla, A. S. (2020). Guía de Derechos y Deberes para comparecientes en la JEP. Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Jurisdicción Especial Para la Paz. https://www.jep.gov.co/Sala-de-Prensa/Documents/Gu%C3%ADa%20derechos%20y%20deberes%20de%20los%20comparecientes%20en%20la%20JEP.pdf
Oquendo, C. (2023, November 9). Álvaro Uribe, denunciado ante la justicia argentina por los ‘falsos positivos’. El País América Colombia. https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2023-11-09/alvaro-uribe-denunciado-ante-la-justicia-argentina-por-los-falsos-positivos.html
Rivera, P. J. N. (2023, November 9). Así respondió el expresidente Álvaro Uribe a las acusaciones en su contra en Argentina. infobae. https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2023/11/09/asi-respondio-el-expresidente-alvaro-uribe-a-las-acusaciones-en-su-contra-en-argentina/
