The Colombian Human Rights Unit is tasked with the investigation and prosecution of serious human rights crimes, including massacres and multiple homicides, extrajudicial killings, politically motivated murders, kidnappings and forced displacements. The Department of Justice has been providing support and assistance to the Colombian Attorney General’s Human Rights Unit since 1999.
Currently, JSRP provides support to the Unit that includes training, technical assistance, equipment, database development, forensics and victim assistance. Much like the assistance provided to the Colombian Justice and Peace Unit, special attention has been given to forensic support including the development of forensic anthropologists and exhumation teams that work with the Human Rights Unit.
The Human Rights Unit has designated subunits to address particular violations of international importance, the subunits include:
- Labor
- Forced Disappearance
- Extrajudicial Killings
- Recruitment of Minors
- Interamerican Human Rights Commission
- Indigenous Population
- Human Trafficking
- Violence Against Journalists
To assist these subunits, many involved with highly sensitive cases, JSRP has developed courses that combine both practical and theoretical aspects of law. All courses include information about international human rights law, investigation techniques and lessons about the accusatory system.
Some of the courses include:
- Extrajudicial Executions
- Suspect Interrogation Techniques
- Basic Interview Techniques
- Advanced Interview Techniques
- Sexual Violence in the Context of the Armed Conflict
- Recruitment of Minors in the Context of the Armed Conflict
- Demonstrative Evidence
- Fundamentals of Written Criminal Litigation
The Department of Justice has donated to the Human Rights Unit:
- Office equipment and furniture including laptops, printers, copiers and fax machines
- Investigation equipment including crime scene analysis kits, spy kits, cameras and video recorders, bullet proof vests, binoculars, chainsaws, cutters, tents and mountain climbing equipment
- Servers and communications equipment
- Armored and non armored vehicles and motorcycles