Calls for Irish Government to demand justice for “Colombia Three”

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Sunday January 18, 2004 23:22 by Catriona Ruane - Bring Them Home Campaign

Delegation of Parlamentarians to travel to Colombia next week

4 Irish parliamentarians Niall Andrews, MEP, FF, Sean Crowe, T.D, Sinn Féin, Senator Mary White, FF and Caitríona Ruane, MLA SF travel to Colombia next week to seek justice for the three Irishmen Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and Jim Monaghan. They will be joined by US lawyer Steve McCabe.

Whilst in Colombia they will be meeting with senior members of the Colombian Government, Catholic Church, the United Nations and other international human rights organisations, EU embassies in Bogota. They will also be visiting the three men in the notorious La Modelo Gaol.

A press Conference, hosted by Niall Andrews, MEP was held at the European Parliament offices this morning

Niall Andrews, MEP said “This will be my second visit to Colombia, I observed the final stages of the trial in July and the delay in giving a verdict is of grave concern to me. It was obvious in July that given the lack of evidence in the prosecution case that these three men should have been home with their families many months ago. They are three European citizens and I have met with the Vice President of Colombia, Mr. Santos to express my concerns about the case”

Caitríona Ruane, of the Bring Them Home Campaign “thanked the parliamentarians for their consistent support for the human rights of the three Irishmen. Niall, Martin and Jim have been in jail for 584 days each. A team of 16 international observers, comprising lawyers and politicians from 3 continents stated categorically in their reports that these men are not getting a fair trial and expressed concern about the politicisation of their trial. “

Senator Mary White said “ I have raised my concerns with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and Minister Brian Cowen, these men should be sent home to their families immediately. The hallmarks of the Judicial process is that everyone is innocent until it is shown beyond certainty that someone is guilty. I am particularly concerned at the prejudicial comments made by senior members of the Colombian Government (including the former president, President Andres Pastrana and current president, Alvaro Uribe) and the former head of the Armed Forces, General Mora”

Sean Crowe T.D said “ We will be meeting with a wide range of opinion in Colombia and our message will be that it is not acceptable that three Irish and Eu citizen’s rights have been violated so blatantly. It is also worrying how this case has been used by opponents of the Peace process in Ireland. We are calling on the Irish Government to use the European presidency to ensure that the Judge is free to make a decision free from political and military interference when deciding the fate of three Irish and EU citizens” Ends

For Further Information contact: Caitríona Ruane on 353 86 8311311 Bring them Home Campaign website : www.bringthemhome.ie

Editors notes:

1. The three men were arrested on August 11, 2001. They have been charged with a) use of false public documents and b) Training the FARC

2. During their trial “civilian witnesses” gave evidence saying that they saw the men training the FARC in Colombia on particular dates and times. An Irish Diplomat Sile Maguire, gave alibi evidence for Niall Connolly, stating that on one of the dates concerned she was having dinner with him in Cuba with Fine Gael’s Jim O’Keeffe T.D, Senator Madeleine Taylor Quinn and Fianna Fáil’s Ben Briscoe.

3. Videos were presented to the court showing Jim Monaghan in Ireland on these dates. Detailed work records were presented proving that Martin McCauley was in Ireland on those dates.