5 Colombian soldiers convicted for killing farmers .
5 Colombian soldiers convicted for killing farmers .
Friday, 15 March 2013 06:49 Benjy Hansen-Bundy
judge convicted five members of the Colombian military for the extrajudicial murders of five farmers who were presented as combat kills.
Over the course of several incidents in 2004 a military patrol killed five civilians of the Granada municipality in the Antioquia department, and then dressed them in guerrilla fatigues in order to present them as combat kills in the conflict against the FARC.
Thousands of extrajudicial killings of Colombian civilians were presented as combat kills in the last 12 years. These cases are known as the false positives. Colombian courts have been slow to prosecute them, receiving criticism from international human rights groups including the United Nations (UN).
According to an investigation by the prosecutor general, in one incident in 2004 the patrol logged a written report claiming, "the military squad repelled an attack" and as a result of the confrontation killed two guerrillas in possession of war materials.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/28540-5-colombian-soldiers-convicted-for-killing-farmers.html