Colombia Supreme Court absolves army colonel in 'disappearances' of detainees from 1985 raid
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Colombia's Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of an army colonel who was found guilty of "disappearing" several people taken alive during a 1985 army raid on the high court after it was seized by guerrillas.
On a 5-3 vote, justices ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence that now retired Col. Alfonso Plazas was responsible for the disappearance of two people who were captured in the building after the 48-hour standoff and never seen again.
President Juan Manuel Santos this year apologized for the deadly siege in compliance with an Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling that condemned the government for the disappearance of 12 people.
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Plazas has maintained his innocence and stuck by his declaration during the assault he helped lead that he was defending democracy.