Madrid (Bufete Garrigues)

On November 24 and 25 2009, the Toledo International Centre for Peace –CITpax-, organised in Madrid a working session on “Parapolitics, Extradition and Justice and Peace in Colombia”, within the project that CITpax has carried out since 2005 to accompany and support the institutions in the Justice and Peace process that Colombia has committed to.

The event aimed at, on the one hand, offering a space for Magistrates of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court and Spanish experts, to consider the definition and procedural aspects that from the legal point of view, can contribute to the work of the Supreme Court on the privileged status of members of the Congress before the relationships that certain members of the Congress have had with illegal armed groups in the so-called case of parapolitics, the extradition of former paramilitary leaders to the US, and their implications in the Justice and Peace process. On the other hand, the gathering sought to foster the dialogue and explore alternatives on the different positions held by both the Supreme Court and the General Attorney’s Office regarding controversial aspects, in order to overcome the burdens and to make progress on the Justice and Peace process. The event follows up the exercise organised by the Centre on July 2008, with the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office, where the situation of the 19.000 demobilised without judicial record and the so called partial indictments were analysed and solutions were put forward.

The event follows up the exercise organised by the Centre on July 2008.

The gathering consisted of four panels closed doors, on the following issues: qualification of crimes according to Justice and Peace; indictments against congressmen for their relationship with illegal armed groups: privileged status and parapolitics; victims’ rights in the Justice and Peace process before the extradition of demobilised to the US; and on the application of the authority and opportunity principles.

The following attended the event: the President and Vice-president of the Supreme Court of Justice; the 8 Magistrates of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court; a Magistrate of the Civil Division of the Supreme Court, a Magistrate of the Social Affairs Division of the Court the Secretary General of the Court; the Attorney General; the Head of the Justice and Peace Unit at the Attorney General’s Office: the Magistrate of the National High Court, and member of CITpax International Advisory Board, Baltasar Garzon; the Judge Jose Ricardo de Prada Solaesa; the Prosecutor of the National High Court, Dolores Delgado; the Legal Advisor to the Chamber of the International Criminal Court, Gilbert Bitti and Manuel Olle Sesse, President of the Spanish Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos.