Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has requested that the Attorney General’s Office investigate allegations of illegal phone tapping involving its magistrates after allegations that the Constitutional Court, opposition politicians, and journalists have been targeted by intelligence officials. These claims, suggesting surveillance by the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI), have triggered a new scandal for President Gustavo Petro’s administration.
The accusations were brought to light by Semana, a leading Colombian news outlet, which reported that Vice-President of the Constitutional Court, Jorge Enrique Ibáñez, had his phone and communications intercepted over several months by the DNI.
Following these revelations, President Petro took to social media platform “X” to deny the claims, stating, “From the first day of this government, the president’s order to intelligence agencies is not to use it against the opposition, press, or courts. I have been explicit that the state’s intelligence is dedicated to the pursuit of major crimes.”
Petro added that an inspection of the DNI found no private telephone interception equipment, emphasizing, “This government does not do what others did in the past.”
The scandal emerges just days after the legislative sessions in Congress adjourned for the summer recess, postponing debates on several government reforms until lawmakers reconvene on July 20.
In response to Semana’s report, Colombia’s parallel justice system has also formally asked the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the alleged illegal interceptions targeting its magistrates. JEP was established in 2006 with the signing of the Peace Accord between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla and Government of President Juan Manuel Santos.
In a letter directed to Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo, several JEP magistrates suspect they have been subject to unauthorized surveillance in recent months. The letter highlighted concerns over potential threats to the independence and autonomy of the JEP, underscoring the importance of preserving the democratic principles that govern Colombia.
“This situation is a clear threat to the security of the Magistrates of this Jurisdiction,” stated Jairo Ernesto Arias, JEP’s Director of Legal Affairs. The request referenced past threats against the lives of JEP magistrates for performing their constitutionally and legally mandated duties. Arias reminded the Attorney General that in 2023, “JEP magistrates received threats against their lives for carrying out the functions that were constitutionally and legally assigned to them,”
The JEP urged the authorities to sanction those responsible if the allegations are confirmed, pledging full cooperation with the Attorney General’s Office in the investigation. “The seriousness of the events requires a verification of the causes that motivated them, as well as to determine those responsible,” noted JEP.
