{"id":155323,"date":"2025-07-13T01:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-high-command-of-the-national-army-has-been-sanctioned-with-arrest-and-a-fine-for-violating-the-precautionary-measures-set-by-the-jep\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T01:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:31:18","slug":"the-high-command-of-the-national-army-has-been-sanctioned-with-arrest-and-a-fine-for-violating-the-precautionary-measures-set-by-the-jep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-high-command-of-the-national-army-has-been-sanctioned-with-arrest-and-a-fine-for-violating-the-precautionary-measures-set-by-the-jep\/","title":{"rendered":"The High Command of the National Army has been sanctioned with arrest and a fine for violating the precautionary measures set by the JEP."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/picture>
The precautionary measure was adopted in September 2024 at the request of victims movements and based on the testimony of an appearing party before the JEP – Credit Camilo Erazo\/Zuma Press and Colprensa<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The \u00a0Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP)\u00a0 has come under scrutiny after its recent sanction of Lieutenant Colonel \u00a0Jorge Emerson Melgarejo Escobar\u00a0, the director of the National Army Logistics School. This sanction was triggered by the officer’s \u00a0failure to comply\u00a0 with a precautionary measure meant to secure a military site located in \u00a0San Crist\u00f3bal\u00a0, Bogot\u00e1. The site is suspected to contain inhumation sites relevant to cases of forced disappearance.<\/p>\n

The JEP’s decision highlights the ongoing struggle for \u00a0justice\u00a0 in Colombia, involving the rights of victims and the state\u2019s obligation to safeguard sensitive sites of historical importance. The court ruled that Lieutenant Colonel Melgarejo faced a \u00a0three-day arrest\u00a0 and a fine equivalent to ten current \u00a0monthly legal minimum wages\u00a0 due to his disregard for the protection order.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the JEP determined that Melgarejo neglected his \u00a0responsibility\u00a0 to ensure the preservation of judicially protected land. The original precautionary measure was put in place in \u00a0September 2024\u00a0 after petitions from victim advocacy groups, including the \u00a0Bar Association Jos\u00e9 Alvear Restrepo (Cajar)\u00a0 and the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (\u00a0MOVICE\u00a0). The aim was to prevent any disturbance that could compromise potential inhumation sites linked to the forced disappearance of individuals.<\/p>\n

\"February<\/picture>
On February 3, 2025, the Forensic Team of the Research and Accusation Unit found an unauthorized excavation at one of the points delimited by measure – Credit UBPD<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Despite the protective court order, which strictly prohibited any \u00a0intervention\u00a0 in the designated area without prior authorization, a \u00a0forensic team\u00a0 discovered an unauthorized excavation on \u00a0February 3, 2025\u00a0. This serious violation led the JEP to initiate a \u00a0contempt incident\u00a0 that ultimately resulted in the sanctions imposed on Lieutenant Colonel Melgarejo.<\/p>\n

It was revealed during the investigation that the unauthorized excavation was initiated by a \u00a0non-commissioned officer\u00a0 under Melgarejo’s command, who claimed ignorance of the restrictions. However, the JEP refuted this defense, emphasizing that the precautionary measure had been effectively communicated to the relevant units, meaning that ignorance could not absolve them from responsibility.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
The JEP determined that the intervention caused irreversible damage that could prevent the forensic identification of possible human remains – Colprensa credit<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The JEP stressed the gravity of the incident, noting that the unauthorized excavation \u00a0permanently affected\u00a0 the potential recovery of \u00a0human remains\u00a0. This incident is not just a legal violation but represents a striking violation of the rights of the victims\u2019 families, who continue to live under the shadow of \u00a0forced disappearances\u00a0. \u201cThe anxiety that remains in front of the forced disappearance increased in the face of the possibility that current technology and forensic techniques do not allow to establish whether the body was on the altered site,\u201d said the court.<\/p>\n

In its ruling, the JEP also mandated that copies be sent to the \u00a0Attorney General’s Office\u00a0 to investigate whether other military personnel might be held accountable for their actions within this protected area. This includes notable figures such as Colonel \u00a0Juan Gabriel Toro\u00a0, who allegedly participated in activities within the restricted area.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
The JEP reiterated that precautionary measures are essential to protect the rights of victims from forced disappearance and that their breach has legal consequences – Credit Diego Pineda\/Colprensa<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

While the JEP did not extend responsibility to former \u00a0Defense Minister Iv\u00e1n Vel\u00e1squez G\u00f3mez\u00a0 or Colonel \u00a0Johan Slead Gelvez Pe\u00f1a\u00a0, stating they acted responsibly regarding the precautionary measures, it emphasized that respect for its judicial decisions is a constitutional duty for all state entities. Breaching these measures would invoke legal consequences for those involved.<\/p>\n

The implications of this case extend beyond mere disciplinary measures; they resonate within the broader context of \u00a0transitional justice\u00a0 in Colombia. Victims of forced disappearance have continuously fought for recognition and accountability, and the actions of both military personnel and judicial authorities will significantly influence their quest for \u00a0justice and closure\u00a0. The JEP’s stringent enforcement of precautionary measures demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding the rights of victims, even in the face of institutional resistance.<\/p>\n


\n
General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The precautionary measure was adopted in September 2024 at the request of victims movements and based on the testimony of an appearing party before the JEP – Credit Camilo Erazo\/Zuma Press and Colprensa The \u00a0Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP)\u00a0 has come under scrutiny after its recent sanction of Lieutenant Colonel \u00a0Jorge Emerson Melgarejo Escobar\u00a0, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[416,2954,2518,555,4435,3405,170,38761,4082,111,252,4442,22081,14178,1428,413,18413,3604],"class_list":["post-155323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mazagine","tag-army","tag-arrest","tag-command","tag-defense","tag-false","tag-fine","tag-high","tag-jep","tag-measures","tag-ministry","tag-national","tag-positive","tag-precautionary","tag-sanctioned","tag-set","tag-soldiers","tag-troops","tag-violating"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}