A political party linked to Colombia's FARC rebel organization has regained its legal status, permitting it to participate in elections scheduled next year.

The Patriotic Union (UP), founded in 1985, was banned after failing to run candidates in Colombia's 2002 parliamentary and presidential elections. However, BBC News reports that the nation's top administrative court has ruled that there were mitigating circumstances 11 years ago — specifically that the party’s candidates had been targeted by "death squads" affiliated with the Colombian government, making campaign activities impossible.

The decision comes as peace negotiations between the Marxist-Leninist FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the Bogota government have been taking place in Cuba. The sides have been discussing the FARC's political participation in next year's elections.

An estimated 600,000 people have been killed since the fighting in Colombia began close to half a century ago. FARC is believed to have approximately 8,000 fighters, half the number it had in 2001. Last year, the group renounced kidnapping for ransom, a practice that had given Colombia one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world.