Key facts
- The Special Jurisdiction for Peace sentenced two majors, a captain, a sergeant and a corporal, all retired, the court said.
- The court said the five admitted responsibility and their information led to 77 bodies being recovered.
- Of the 77 bodies recovered, 18 have been identified and 17 returned to families, the court said.
- Reparations include road and bridge reconstruction, humanitarian work and searches for disappeared people, the court said.
- Colombia's Truth Commission has estimated 8,208 people were victims of extrajudicial executions by the military between 1978 and 2016.
- About 4,000 security force members, including 17 generals, have taken part in the JEP's investigations, the court said.
A peace tribunal in Colombia sentenced five retired members of the Colombian Army on November 13, 2026, to up to 6-1/2 years of reparations work for their role in the killing and disappearance of 35 civilians between 2002 and 2006. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a transitional justice court created in 2016 to investigate crimes committed during Colombia's internal armed conflict, said the former soldiers admitted responsibility and provided authorities with information.
The court said the five were two majors, a captain, a sergeant and a corporal. The information they gave led to the recovery of 77 bodies, of which 18 have been identified and 17 returned to families. The reparations include road and bridge reconstruction, humanitarian work and searches for disappeared people, the court said.
The crimes occurred between 2002 and 2006 in the rural area of Dabeiba, in the northwestern department of Antioquia. They are part of a "false positives" scandal in which military personnel killed civilians and falsely reported them as guerrillas killed in combat during Colombia's internal armed conflict, which killed more than 450,000 people and displaced millions.
Colombia's Truth Commission has estimated that 8,208 people were victims of extrajudicial executions by the military between 1978 and 2016. About 4,000 members of the security forces of all ranks, including 17 generals, have participated in the JEP's investigations into "false positives" and forced disappearances, and the court is investigating more than 250,000 crimes related to the conflict.
Under the JEP's rules, former guerrilla commanders, military personnel and civilians who cooperate with its investigations and reveal the full truth about their involvement may be sentenced to up to eight years of reparations. Those who do not fully cooperate may face prison sentences of up to 20 years. Dozens of army personnel have been arrested and convicted of "false positive" crimes under the regular justice system, and some victims whose remains have not been returned to their families are considered missing.