Detained Irishmen ‘being denied fair trial’

Three Irishmen detained for the last six months by the authorities in Colombia on suspicion of training left wing rebels are being denied a fair trial, their supporters claimed tonight.

Campaigners calling for the release of republicans James Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly, who were arrested in the South American country last August on charges of travelling on false passports and training Marxist FARC rebels, called on the Irish government and human rights organisations to demand their freedom.

Just two days after prosecutors in the Colombian capital Bogota sent the case to a federal judge, Catriona Ruane of the Bring Them Home Campaign claimed tonight the three had been denied ‘‘a fair legal process from the day and hour they were arrested.

She said: ‘‘Their basic rights to defence have been denied. The investigation was closed before vital witnesses for the defence were interviewed.

‘‘Among these witnesses were Irish parliamentarians from different political parties, professional people and former employers of the men.

‘‘Human rights organisations have described the conditions in which they have been held as inhuman and degrading. They have been obstructed from preparing their defence by the manner in which they have been treated.’’

Mr Monaghan, Mr McCauley and Mr Connolly were arrested last August on leaving the zone controlled by rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC.

The men claimed they were in the zone to study peace talks between FARC and the Colombian Government.

Carolina Sanchez from the Colombian Attorney General’s Office said last night that, although no trial date has been set, it could begin within a month.

Confirming that the men’s defence lawyers would appeal moves to bring them to trial, Ms Ruane claimed tonight that the informers used to mount a case against Mr Monaghan, Mr McCauley and Mr Connolly had been ‘‘discredited under cross examination’’ by defence lawyers.

One of these informers, she alleged, had claimed the three were in Colombia in 1998 but the defence had ‘‘cast iron alibis’’ to prove this was not the case.

Ms Ruane also queried the forensic tests carried out on the men following their arrest.

‘‘The credibility of this test has been destroyed both by the Colombian Authorities and by an internationally renowned British forensic scientist,’’ she said.

‘‘In a report commissioned by Peter Madden of Madden and Finucane Solicitors, Dr Borer has stated that there is no forensic evidence against the men. This significant piece of information has also been ignored by the Colombian Prosecutor.

The spokeswoman continued: ‘‘What is happening here is that three Irishmen are being denied basic human rights and due process.

‘‘We are calling on the Irish government and international human rights agencies to urgently intervene in this case. Defence lawyers in Colombia will be appealing this decision immediately.

The arrests of the three Irishmen initially embarrassed Sinn Fein leaders and prompted moves by a US Congressional committee to investigate links between the IRA and anti-American Marxist rebels in Colombia.

Mr Monaghan is a former member of Sinn Fein’s national executive.

In October, Gerry Adams also admitted that Mr Connolly represented Sinn Fein in Cuba despite initial denials from the party that he had.

The House of Representatives International Relations Committee is still considering whether it should hold public hearings in Washington on the IRA’s involvement in Colombia.

Ten days ago, US Senator Chris Dodd claimed in Washington that Sinn Fein minister Martin McGuinness told senior Irish American politicians he was angry when he learnt about the arrests.