16 December 2004 Edition

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Colombia Three face fourth Christmas away from families

Last April, Irishmen Niall Connolly, Jim Monaghan and Martin McCauley were cleared of all charges relating to training FARC guerrillas in Colombia. However, instead of being free to enjoy Christmas with their families, eight months later they are still in hiding and there is no sign of them being allowed to come home.

After spending three years in horrendous conditions in Colombian jails, the men were handed down a verdict of not guilty by Judge Jairo Acosta on 28 April. They were eventually only found guilty of lesser charges of travelling on false passports. The time for that offence had already been served. Each of the men also received a $6,000 fine.

Despite the acquittal, the men were not allowed to leave their Bogota jail immediately. The country's Attorney General, the head of the police and military, decided to hold them until the prosecution appealed the case.

After intensive lobbying by the Bring Them Home campaign and other human rights organisations, the men were allowed leave the jail in June, but were forbidden from leaving the country. This led to a situation where, fearing for their lives,

they were forced to go into hiding. After enduring a massive travesty of justice, they now await the appeal case and the chances of one being heard over Christmas are slim.

Speaking to An Phoblacht on Wednesday, spokesperson for the Bring Them Home campaign, Sinn Féin MLA Caitríona Ruane, said that it was outrageous the men were still in hiding.

"These men should have been free eight months ago," Ruane said. "What I really want to know is what exactly the Irish Government is doing to help them. I can't help thinking that if Niall, Jim and Martin were citizens of any other European country they would be home by now. Their human rights are being completely violated."

Ruane said that the men had not seen or spoken to their families in eight months.

"This is now their fourth Christmas alone in Colombia," she said. "Under Colombian law they are actually free men, but they can't leave, they can't go anywhere for fear of being recognised and attacked — they are still prisoners. And all because the Attorney General is running this campaign saying they can't go home."

The Bring Them Home campaign will, according to Ruane, continue to work hard for the men in the New Year.

"We have been lobbying the Irish and Colombian governments, liaising with international agencies and doing everything we can to get them home in the New Year," she said. "It is appalling that they won't be home in this one."


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