In Colombia, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has decided to grant amnesty to Rodrigo Granda, one of the former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Bogota, October 26 (RHC)-- In Colombia, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has decided to grant amnesty to Rodrigo Granda, one of the former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The JEP Amnesty and Pardon Chamber granted the benefit of de jure amnesty to Granda, who was convicted in April 2006 for the crime of rebellion before the Third Criminal Court of the Cucuta Circuit, in the department of Norte de Santander.

After ratifying the political nature of this crime, the JEP ordered the withdrawal of the fiscal or criminal record of Granda, who was known as "the foreign minister of the FARC."  The JEP resolution also indicates that the investigations were related to other facts in which Granda allegedly incurred and the Attorney General's Office continues to analyze.

Given that Granda is still being investigated in other cases related to possibly illegal activities, the JEP informed the immigration authorities that the former FARC member will not be able to leave the country without prior authorization from the JEP.

The amnesty decision was signed by Judge Marcela Giraldo and could eventually be appealed according to 2018 Law Number 1922.

Granda joined the Communist Party in 1971 and became a member of the FARC Central General Staff in 1997.  He took part in the negotiations process of the Peace Agreement signed between the Colombian State and the FARC-EP in 2016.