Colombia Three supporters to protest against Santos visit

Supporters of the so-called Colombia Three are due to stage a demonstration in Dublin next week against a visit to Ireland by Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos.

Mr Santos is due to meet Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen and members of the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee next Tuesday.

The Colombia Three, James Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley, have been in prison in Bogotá for two-and-a-half years since being arrested on suspicion of training anti-government rebels in bomb-making techniques.

Their supporters from the Bring Them Home Campaign claim their rights have been systematically violated since their arrests in August 2001.