Killing in a Gray Area between Humanitarian Law and Human Rights: How Can the National Police of Colombia Overcome the Uncertainty of Which Branch of International Law to Apply?

196 Pages·2010·1.16 MB·English

by  Jan Römer (auth.)

Schriftenreihe der Juristischen Fakulta¨t der
Europa-Universita¨t Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Herausgegebenvon
ProfessorDr.iur.Dr.phil.UweScheffler,Frankfurt(Oder)
For furthervolumes:
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Jan Ro¨mer
Killing in a Gray Area
between Humanitarian Law
and Human Rights
How Can the National Police of Colombia
Overcome the Uncertainty of Which Branch
of International Law to Apply?
JanRo¨mer
Dannenriede37
29525Uelzen
Germany
[email protected]
DissertationzurErlangungdesakademischenGradeseinesDoktorsderRechte
anderRechtswissenschaftlichenFakulta¨tderEuropa-Universita¨tViadrinaFrankfurt(Oder)
Vorgelegtvon:JanRo¨mer
Erstgutachter:HerrProf.Dr.WolffHeintschelvonHeinegg
Zweitgutachter:FrauPDDr.CarmenThiele
TheauthorhasbeenadelegateoftheInternationalCommitteeoftheRedCrosssince2001.
Theviewsexpressedinthisthesisarethoseoftheauthoranddonotnecessarilyreflectthose
of the ICRC.
ISSN:1431-7923
ISBN:978-3-642-04661-2 e-ISBN:978-3-642-04662-9
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-04662-9
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2009941067
#Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2010
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In love and gratitude,
to my mother
and my father
v
Acknowlegements
I would like to thank my relatives, friends and colleagues who encouraged me to
writethisthesis.Firstandforemost,Iwouldliketomentionthevariousofficersof
theNationalPoliceofColombiawhoprovidedmewiththenecessaryinformation
for the thesis, in addition, the ICRC delegation in Bogota´ for facilitating the
contacts with the police, Mrs. Luz Marina Tamayo for our discussions, which
helped me define the subject of this thesis, Mr. Nils Melzer and Mr. Robert Frau
forvariousdiscussionsonthecontent,Mrs.CoreyBarberforproofreading,aswell
asMr.SebastianBiereforsomelogisticalsupport.Lastbutnotleast,Iwouldliketo
thankmyadvisor(Doktorvater),Prof.Dr.WolffHeintschelvonHeinegg.
vii
Summary of Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................... 1
2 TheSituationinColombia ............................................... 7
A. ArmedConflictnotofInternationalCharacter:
ClassificationoftheColombianCase .................................. 7
B. TheTerm“ArmedForces”inIHLandtheNational
PoliceofColombia .................................................... 26
3 LegalRequirementsfortheUseofLethalForce ...................... 29
A. IntroductoryExplanationsoftheRighttoLife ....................... 29
B. ApplicableBranchesofInternationalLaw ............................ 30
C. KillingunderInternationalHumanitarian
Law(Hostilities) ....................................................... 41
D. KillingunderInternationalHumanRightsLaw
(LawEnforcement) .................................................... 94
E. Findings .............................................................. 112
4 UseofLethalForcebytheNationalPoliceofColombia
inVariousOperations .................................................. 119
A. IntroductiveExplanations ........................................... 119
B. GeneralAspectsRegardingtheOperations ......................... 122
C. ScenarioOne ......................................................... 123
D. ScenarioTwo ........................................................ 128
E. ScenarioThree ....................................................... 139
F. ScenarioFour ........................................................ 150
G. Findings .............................................................. 155
5 MainFindingsandThesisStatement .................................. 165
ix
Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................... 1
A. ContentandQuestionsAddressed ...................................... 1
I. Killing:AGeneralProbleminInternationalLawandIts
RelevancetotheColombianCase .............................. 1
II. LegalFramework ............................................... 2
III. TheGrayAreaBetweenIHLandHumanRightsinCases
ofArmedConflict ............................................... 2
B. JustificationoftheResearchTopic ..................................... 3
C. QuestionsThatArenotAddressed ..................................... 5
D. Outline .................................................................. 6
2 TheSituationinColombia ............................................... 7
A. ArmedConflictnotofInternationalCharacter:Classification
oftheColombianCase ................................................. 7
I. Article3GCI–IV ............................................... 8
1. ThresholdofApplication ................................... 9
2. PartytotheConflict:GroupsofOrganizedCrime
andBanditry ................................................ 10
a) DegreeofOrganization ................................. 11
(1) CapacitytoCarryOutOperationsReaching
theThresholdofArmedConflict .................. 11
(2) AbilitytoImplementIHL .......................... 12
b) AlternativeCriteria ..................................... 12
c) AretheArmedGroupsRequiredtoHave
aPoliticalGoal? ........................................ 13
d) CanPartiestotheConflictCommitActs
ofTerrorism? ........................................... 14
(1) ViewoftheUSGovernment ...................... 15
(2) EchoingtheUSGovernment’sView .............. 15
(3) Summary ........................................... 16
xi
xii Contents
3. Non-StatePartiestotheColombianArmedConflict ...... 17
a) GuerrillaMovements ................................... 17
(1) FARC-EP ........................................... 17
(2) ELN ................................................ 19
b) ParamilitaryGroups ..................................... 19
c) OrganizedCriminalGroups,NamelyDrugSmugglers ... 22
II. CriteriaunderArticle1APII .................................. 22
1. TheResponsibleCommand ................................ 23
2. ControlOverPartofaTerritory ........................... 24
3. TheSustainedandConcertedCharacter
ofMilitaryOperations ..................................... 24
4. MilitaryOperationsAgainstGovernmental
ArmedForces .............................................. 25
5. TheAbilitytoImplementtheProtocol .................... 26
III. Summary ....................................................... 26
B. TheTerm“ArmedForces”inIHLandtheNationalPolice
ofColombia ............................................................ 26
3 LegalRequirementsfortheUseofLethalForce ...................... 29
A. IntroductoryExplanationsoftheRighttoLife ....................... 29
B. ApplicableBranchesofInternationalLaw ............................ 30
I. ApplicabilityofHumanRightsandApplicable
Conventions .................................................... 30
II. RelationshipBetweenIHLandtheInternationalLaw
ofHumanRights ............................................... 32
1. ProcessofConvergence .................................... 32
2. DifferentApproachestowardsDefining
theRelationship ............................................ 34
III. WhichBodyofLawRegulatestheMatter? ................... 36
1. ConductofHostilitiesandLawEnforcement ............. 37
2. LegalFramework .......................................... 37
IV. IsThereaSpecificBranchofInternationalLaw
fortheFightAgainstTerrorism? .............................. 40
V. Summary ....................................................... 41
C. KillingunderInternationalHumanitarianLaw(Hostilities) .......... 41
I. PertinentRulesforColombia .................................. 41
II. PrincipleofDistinctionandProhibition
ofIndiscriminateAttacks ...................................... 41
1. ReasonsfortheLossofProtectionandtheUse
ofLethalForce ............................................. 43
2. ReasonsfortheUseofLethalForce ....................... 44
3. Notionof“Civilian” ....................................... 45
4. Notionof“MemberoftheArmedForces” ................ 45
a) GovernmentalArmedForces ........................... 46
b) OrganizedArmedGroups .............................. 46
Contents xiii
(1) CiviliansorNon-Civilians? ........................ 46
(2) Exceptions .......................................... 50
(3) DefactoAffiliation ................................ 50
(4) Excursus:TheTerm“Combatant”inIHL
RulingNon-InternationalConflict ................. 51
c) Notionof“ArmedForces”AccordingtoArticle3
GCI–IV ................................................. 52
5. Summary ................................................... 52
6. DirectParticipationofCiviliansinHostilities ............ 53
a) TheTerm“DirectParticipationinHostilities” ......... 53
(1) ThresholdofHarm ................................. 55
(2) DirectCausality .................................... 56
(3) BelligerentNexus .................................. 57
(4) PreparatoryandFinalMeasureswithRegard
toDirectParticipation ............................. 58
b) EvaluationoftheThreeConstitutiveElements ........ 58
(1) PreliminaryConsiderations ........................ 58
(2) AttempttoDefine .................................. 60
c) DifferentApproachesregardingPersonalScope ....... 60
d) TemporalScope:DiscontinuingtheLoss
ofProtection ............................................ 61
(1) Civilians ............................................ 62
(2) MembersofOrganizedArmedGroups ............ 63
7. PresumptioninSituationsofDoubt ....................... 63
8. Summary ................................................... 64
III. RestrictionsontheUseofLethalForce ....................... 65
1. HumanRightsApproach ................................... 65
2. PrincipleofMilitaryNecessity ............................ 68
a) ConceptandScopeofApplication ..................... 68
b) PermissiveandRestrictiveFunctions .................. 70
c) Necessity-FactorwithRegardtotheUse
ofLethalForce .......................................... 71
3. SafeguardofaPersonHorsdeCombat ................... 73
a) Article5APII .......................................... 73
b) Article3GCI–IV ....................................... 74
c) CustomaryLaw ......................................... 74
(1) CategoryTwo:Defencelessness ................... 76
(2) CategoryThree:Surrender ......................... 77
(3) SummaryofCategoryTwoandThree ............ 78
(4) CategoryOne:ToBeinthePower
oftheAdverseParty ............................... 78
(i) TheTraditionalViewoftheLegalDoctrine .... 81
(ii) TestofPracticabilityoftheProposed
Definition ...................................... 83
(5) Meaningof“Attack”undertheSafeguard ........ 83