Colombia tribunal charges 27 ex-guerrillas

Colombia's peace tribunal charged 27 ex-guerrillas on Tuesday with crimes against humanity and sexual violence committed during the country's armed conflict.

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace, known as the JEP, was created by the 2016 peace deal with the now-defunct FARC rebel army. Some former FARC commanders were among those charged.

The JEP said on X that the defendants' crimes included "bombings, massacres, homicides, disappearances, displacements, rape, sexual violence, and other acts such as guerrilla takeovers".

Ex-FARC commander Rodrigo Londono, also known as Timochenko, was one of four leaders charged. By signing the 2016 peace deal, he and other former commanders submitted to transitional justice, accepted responsibility for FARC's crimes and committed to telling the truth about their role in the conflict.

Judge Julieta Lemaitre said the defendants were responsible for the crimes "by action or by omission". She said a pattern of sexual violence emerged within rebel ranks and that commanders' failure to keep troops under control also gave rise to criminal responsibility.

A previous investigation into mass kidnapping led to their first convictions last year: eight years of restricted movement paired with community service, which is due to begin in the coming months.

The JEP also judges crimes committed by state-backed paramilitary groups. President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, who takes office Friday, wants to dismantle the court and has called it a "revenge tribunal" that gives out disproportionate sentences.