In response to a request for intervention submitted by 209 social organisations, including movements, associations, communities, trade unions and collectives of various kinds, and by 179 public figures and social leaders, the Tribunal held its opening session in Bogotá on 26 January 2021 and then met from 25 to 27 March 2021 in the cities of Bucaramanga, Medellín and Bogotá. The Tribunal’s investigation focused on reconstructing the history of the country, the roots of violence and how they changed over time, and the actors responsible. The ruling was presented in Bogotá on 17 June 2021, and the PPT panel of judges found the Colombian state guilty of crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 20th century, with the most atrocities occurring during the last nineteen governments, with a central role played by the governments headed by Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002-2010). In its Judgement, the Tribunal urged that the decision be read within an overall interpretative framework of the policies of violence against the Colombian people and their rights, in terms of their severity and their perpetrators. The Tribunal also recalled that it is necessary to respect the duty to investigate and punish those responsible for human rights violations, implementing the appropriate mechanisms so that victims in Colombia can truly see their rights to truth, justice and full reparation recognised.
Requesting organisations: See the link
Session schedule:
Opening event: Bogotá, January 26, 2021.
Public hearings: Bucaramanga, Medellín, and Bogotá, March 25-27, 2021.
Judgment presentation event: Bogotá, June 17, 2021.