{"id":63614,"date":"2014-11-10T07:10:44","date_gmt":"2014-11-10T07:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=63614"},"modified":"2014-11-10T07:10:44","modified_gmt":"2014-11-10T07:10:44","slug":"colombian-indigenous-court-convicts-farc-guerrillas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/11\/colombian-indigenous-court-convicts-farc-guerrillas\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombian indigenous court convicts Farc guerrillas"},"content":{"rendered":"
An indigenous court in western Colombia has convicted seven left-wing Farc guerrillas over the murder of two leaders of the Nasa tribe.<\/p>\n
Five were sentenced to between 40 and 60 years in jail and two others will receive 20 lashes.<\/p>\n
The two victims had been removing posters praising a Farc leader when they were killed.<\/p>\n
Indigenous authorities in Colombia have jurisdiction in their own territories unless this contravenes national law.<\/p>\n
The verdict and sentences were decided after several hours of debate by an assembly of about 3,000 members from the indigenous reserve in the Cauca province town of Toribio.<\/p>\n
Gabriel Pavi, leader of the Northern Cauca indigenous councils association, said the guerrillas were captured “in uniform and with rifles” and that “all are indigenous”.<\/p>\n
The harshest sentence – 60 years in jail – was given to a man who confessed to killing the two native leaders.<\/p>\n
Four other defendants received 40 years each for having “fired indiscriminately” on other members of the community, said Mr Pavi.<\/p>\n
Two teenagers also arrested – reportedly aged 14 and 17 – were sentenced to 20 lashes. They are to be held at a rehabilitation centre until they are 18, at which point a new assembly will reconsider their cases.<\/p>\n
Following the trial, the weapons used by the guerrillas were destroyed in front of the tribal court.<\/p>\n
The sentences will be served in the state prison at Popayan, capital of Cauca.<\/p>\n