The United States on Friday demanded that Colombia extradite a rebel leader, freed under a recent peace accord, to face trial in New York for kidnapping a US national.

Julio Enrique Lemos Moreno was freed under the terms of a peace deal signed by the Colombian government and FARC rebels to end a half-century conflict.

"We think that this decision did not take into account the seriousness of the case of the kidnapping of a US citizen," said the US ambassador in Bogota, Kevin Whitaker, in a letter to the Supreme Court published by Colombian media.

The issue of an amnesty or reduced sentences for FARC members was one of the most controversial compromises in the deal, which was initially narrowly rejected by Colombian voters in a referendum.

Washington backed the peace deal, but does not want Lemos to escape justice for the kidnapping of US businessman Cecilio Juan Padron in 2008.

Lemos was arrested in February, having left one of the FARC demobilization zones on a special permit to receive medical treatment.

The United States called for him to be extradited but the Colombian high court ruled that under the peace accord he should be released and returned to the demobilization zone.

"This decision in inconsistent with the aims of justice and creates a great risk of setting a worrying and dangerous precedent for bilateral justice," Whitaker wrote.

He said the United States would continue seeking Lemos's extradition.

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Colombia's FARC rebels say 30% of arms handed in
Bogota (AFP) June 8, 2017
Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels on Wednesday said they have handed over 30 percent of their weapons to UN officials as part of a deal to end a half-century of war. "Thirty percent of our arms have been put in the hands of UN monitors" of the peace process "and stored in containers," said FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his alias "Timochenko." "This is the beginning of the end ... read more

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