According to Nina Hagensen of the committee, the detention of Santrich is ‘a symptom’ of attempts by the Colombian political right and the US government to ‘torpedo’ the peace process. She also criticised the Colombian authorities for failing to comply with the terms of the peace agreement.
The Danish Committee of Hope has awarded a peace prize to Jesús Santrich, the FARC politician who participated in the Havana negotiations and is in prison in Bogota following a US extradition request on accusations of drugs trafficking.
Santrich is currently on hunger strike in protest against what the FARC say is a politically-motivated case to discredit their party and undermine the peace agreement. His defence team has said that any criminal prosecutions brought against members of the FARC must first be reviewed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which was established as a core component of the peace agreement.
The award recognises Santrich’s important contribution to the Colombian peace process. The prize fund of 50,000 Danish krona ($8,200 US dollars) will be added to the legal fund established to defend Santrich against the charges.