February verdict for Colombia Three

THREE Irishmen who have spent nearly two-and-a-half years in jail in Colombia must wait at least another two months before a judge rules on whether they are guilty of training left-wing rebels in the South American country.

The judge in the trial of Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley said yesterday he does not expect to make a ruling before February at the earliest.

The Colombian judiciary has been criticised for the slow pace of the trial of the three men, arrested in August 2001 and accused of assisting Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and travelling on false passports. They face sentences of between eight and 14 years on the training charges and between two and eight years for possessing false documents.

It is alleged the men trained FARC forces in the use of mortars. In one mortar attack on a church in Colombia in 2002, more than 100 people were killed.

A vocal campaign has been carried out on their behalf in Ireland and internationally. Catriona Ruane, a Sinn Féin candidate in the recent Northern Assembly elections and spokesperson for the Bring them Home campaign, said the men have spent their third Christmas in jail and away from families deeply concerned for their safety and well being. “We can only hope that judge will make his decision based on the law and will not be subjected to any outside political or military pressure,” Ms Ruane said.