Bogota, Feb 5 (Prensa Latina) The defense of former peace negotiator Jesus Santrich demanded his release Tuesday after stressing that he has been unjustly imprisoned for 10 months on charges of a crime he never committed.

The legal team in charge of defending the former commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) said in a statement that the rights of Santrich, imprisoned since April 9, 2018 at the request of the United States, who is seeking his extradition, are being violated.

We are concerned that above peace, due process and constitutional guarantees, the political pressures of those who are nostalgic for the war take precedence' , the statement said.

'We request that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) be allowed to act in law and be freed from the growing intimidation against them', the document added.

The FARC-EP ex-combatant's defense said it was certain that no evidence will ever reach Colombia proving Santrich's responsibility in the drug trafficking crime he is accused of.

The legal team's statement occurs after the JEP granted Monday 20 days to the U.S. justice system to send the alleged evidence for which it accuses Santrich.

It was unusual and implausible here that the Colombian Ministry of Justice reported that the previous document, which expired on January 28, never arrived in the United States because it was lost in Panama. After that explanation, the JEP revoked the order it had issued, decreeing the closing of the evidence practice and the beginning of the final stage of pleadings of the Santrich defense to evaluate granting the benefit of non-extradition.

Colombian congressmen warned this week that the delay in presenting the alleged evidence shows that there is no real evidence to blame Santrich.

The Common Revolutionary Alternative Force party has reiterated its full confidence in Santrich's innocence and his long prison term is a direct attack on the peace process.