The United Nations Human Rights Chief commended the first convictions handed down by the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) as a “crucial milestone on the path of accountability” while cautioning that this only represents an early step in a long-term effort to restore peace and justice.

“After decades of atrocity upon atrocity, these convictions represent a fundamental step in the fight against impunity in Colombia and in fulfilling the rights of victims to truth and justice,” Chief Volker Türk said. “It is now up to the Government to take action so the legal, budgetary, security, and administrative conditions are in place to ensure that the ensuing penalties are effectively enforced and that accountability is fully embedded in the system.”

In its first ruling , the SJP c

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