Politicans withdraw from Colombia trial visit

Two politicians tonight withdrew from a visit to the trial of three Irish men arrested in Colombia on suspicion of training FARC guerillas.

John Curran, of Fianna Fail, and Senator Paul Bradford of Fine Gael, withdrew amid criticism from both sides of the border.

Mr Curran said his decision was a personal one and that he was under no pressure from the party leadership to cancel.

Senator Bradford made his announcement shortly afterwards, saying the trip had become the subject of “partisan political squabbling“.

Yesterday it was announced that a multi-party group from Ireland has been asked to go to Bogota, the South American state’s capital, by supporters of the accused men.

Minutes after the announcement of the visit was made one of the nominated group, Labour’s Joe Costello, dropped out at the request of his party.

Those now remaining in the delegation are Sinn Fein’s Sean Crowe and Independent Finian McGrath – both representatives of the Dail – and Fianna Fail Senator Mary White.

They are due to leave Ireland in time to be in South America for the next phase of the trial of Niall Connolly, Martin McAuley and James Monaghan later this month.

Earlier today Sean Power of Fianna Fail said serious questions had to be raised about the proposed trip.

“I think by parliamentarians deciding to go to monitor the trial is only giving comfort to Sinn Fein and should not happen,” he said.

He said he believed it sufficient that Foreign Affairs department would be monitoring the case.

“Of course I am as keen as anyone else to see that a fair trial takes place,” he said. “But I would feel that if ministers of the Dáil travel to this it will be seen and will be sold as condoning the actions of those three people.”

He said most people he had spoken to were opposed to the group travelling to the trial.

Liz O’Donnell, of the Progressive Democrats party, asked in the Dail whether it was appropriate for deputies and senators to go to the trial of people accused of serious terrorist offences.

Meanwhile Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt claimed the decision by the Irish delegation to attend the trial was a “Sinn Fein rescue mission“.

“For politicians to engage in a Sinn Fein rescue mission raises questions in the unionist community about the impartiality of certain politicians in the Republic,” he said.

“They seem to have thrown the spirit of the Belfast agreement out of the window.”

The case has been seen as a potential threat to the Northern Ireland peace process because of alleged links between the arrested men, all Irish republicans, and the on-ceasefire IRA.

Earlier this year, reports in Dublin indicated that a dossier compiled by American congressmen asserted that the effectiveness of the FARC had been enhanced by the IRA and that up to 15 figures from that organisation had been involved in training the guerrillas.

The trip for the politicians is being paid for by the Bring Them Home campaign, established by supporters of the arrested men soon after they were detained by police.

Catriona Ruane, a spokeswoman for the group, said the politicians would spend a week in Bogota and had requested meetings with senior members of the Colombian government, the judge, prosecution and defence teams in the case against the three men, and officials from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the International Red Cross.

Ms Ruane said: “International attention is essential to ensure the safety of the three men. Our campaign is asking national and international observers to be at the trial.”