FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Observers travel ahead of Colombia hearingNew York Brehons join international observersFebruary 2, 2003--
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February 2, 2003--
(RM News 2.2.03)
Spokesperson for the Bring Them Home Campaign, Caitriona Ruane announced at the
weekend that a delegation will be going to Colombia to observe the trial of the
three Irishmen currently being illegally detained in Combita jail.
Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan have been detained since
August 11, 2001. They are charged with training FARC rebels in Colombia and
travelling on false documents.
After being suspended in disarray in December over missing witnesses, the trial
of the three men resumes in Bogota on February 5th.
However, in another bizarre twist, the Colombian witness protection programme
has now insisted that they cannot afford to pay the fare to Bogota of one of the
missing witnesses.
The delegation includes parliamentarians, Sean Crowe, T.D (Sinn Fein), and
Senator Mary White (Fianna Fail). They will be joined by Irish lawyers, Pat
Daly, Ronan Munro; Australian lawyers Shaun Kerrigan and Steve McCabe and
Natalie Kabaskalian, lawyers from New York. Human rights activist Paul Hill
(Guildford 4) will also join the delegation. Caitriona Ruane, Bring Them Home
spokesperson will be accompanying the delegation to Colombia.
They will spend a week in Colombia and and expect to meet with senior members of
the Colombian Government, the Judge, the Prosecution, the Defence, the United
Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red
Cross and the Ombudsmans office. They will also be visiting the three men who
are in Combita Penitentiary three hours drive outside Bogota.
Caitriona Ruane, said "We were over in December and what we witnessed was an
absolute farce, the prosecution failed to produce two of its 'key witnesses'
using lame excuses. The only witness that they did produce was from military
intelligence and he was totally discredited on the stand. The Judge adjourned
the hearing and ordered that the two witnesses be brought to the court in
February. Now we hear that that Colombian state cannot afford to pay for one of
the witnesses to travel to Bogota [fare about 300 Euros]. Judge has authorised
that the witness give evidence on commission in Medellin. The men's defence
lawyers are appealing this and we are awaiting the outcome of the decision."
'NO FAIR TRIAL'
In December, the previous delegation of observers expressed shock at what they
saw in Bogota. Their interim findings concluded that:
:: The men cannot obtain a fair trial.
:: The men have not obtained a fair legal process to date.
:: The men have been transferred from jail to jail on several occasions which
has prejudiced the preparations for their trial.
:: Threats have been made against their defence lawyers which has made it more
difficult to prepare for trial hearings.
:: The men have been held in dangerous and unsuitable conditions, and in breach
of internationally accepted human rights
conventions, since their arrest in August 2001.
:: Pre-trial publicity in Colombia and internationally has undermined the
principle of presumption of innocence.
:: Statements by the former and current presidents of Colombia and senior
Colombian and US officials and elected representatives
have further damaged the men's ability to obtain a fair trial.
:: The Irish government as a matter of priority should send an
official legal observer to attend the trial at all stages.
:: The men should be held in Bogota in a safe location for the duration of their
trial.
Ruane called on the international community to take heed of what is taking place
in the Colombian judicial system.
"International attention on this trial is essential, and we are bringing over
lawyers from three different countries so they can report fully on the trial,"
she said.
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