Freedom on hold for Colombia Three

THREE Irishmen acquitted of training left-wing Colombian rebels yesterday could be detained indefinitely in South American until an appeal is heard.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Colombian attorney general's office said it would appeal the ruling and consequently the men will not be able to leave Colombia while the case is under appeal.

The three, Jim Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley, were arrested in August 2001 at Bogota's El Dorado international airport and subsequently charged with training the Marxist guerrillas of the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) in IRA bomb-making techniques and with travelling on false documentation.

On their conviction of using false passports, McCauley was sentenced to 36 months and 18 days, Monaghan to 44 months and Connolly to 26 months.

Time already spent in custody will be set against these sentences.

Monaghan, Connolly and McCauley were not present as the verdict was read out after their nine-month trial.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen said his department was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the men.

Mr Cowen said he noted the judgment of the court and hoped the men would soon be reunited with their families whom, he said, had "borne the strain of their detention for such a long period".

"The department and the embassy in Mexico have been in close contact today with the Honorary Irish Consul and with the Dutch Embassy in Bogota, and also with the Colombian authorities with a view to ensuring that the safety of the men continues to be fully assured and that their departure from the country will be facilitated in every way possible," he said.

"I'm very pleased that the Colombian justice system has maintained its independence from political and military interference," said Fianna Fáil Senator Mary White, referring to remarks from the Colombian president's office and the military high command that the three men were terrorists

Ms White, who flew from Dublin to hear the verdict, said it would boost the peace process in Northern Ireland, because Protestant opponents had tried to seize on the case as evidence the IRA was continuing to carry out illegal activities despite a 1997 ceasefire.

Caitriona Ruane, a Sinn Féin member of the Northern Ireland Assembly who headed the campaign to have the men freed, said: "We are absolutely delighted by this decision.

"We have obvious concerns now about the men's safety and are seeking an urgent meeting with President Uribe to ensure their safe passage back."

The arrest of Connolly, McCauley and Monaghan in 2001 was one of a number of factors which undermined unionist confidence in Northern Ireland's power sharing executive and eventually led to its collapse.

Unionist parties demanded answers from Sinn Féin about the arrests.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's spokesman said the verdict underscored the separation of powers in the country.