Independent observers sought for Colombia trial

FAMILIES of three Irish men facing trial in Colombia have appealed to the international community to send independent observers amid fears they will not receive a fair hearing.

The three, Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan, accused of giving military training to left-wing FARC guerrillas and travelling with false documents, face a preliminary hearing today.

A single judge and no jury will hear the case. In a statement yesterday, the men’s families said: “We believe that a serious miscarriage of justice is occurring. The allegations against them remain the same since their initial arrest. The prosecution is still relying on illegal interrogations, flawed forensic procedures and informers who have been discredited.”