Colombia Three await verdict today
The long-awaited verdict on three Irishmen accused of training Marxist rebels in Colombia was expected today, nine months after their trial ended.
James Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly were arrested in August 2001 and accused of travelling on false passports and training the FARC militia.
Colombian authorities claim FARC have applied IRA bomb technology to their attacks.
The three Irishmen have been waiting in jail for the verdict since the end of their high profile trial last August.
During their imprisonment and trial, campaigners have expressed concerns about the impartiality of the Colombian judicial system.
Some human rights activists blamed the nine month wait for a verdict on pressure from Colombia’s political and military establishment.
But judge Jairo Acosta said the delay was due to a heavy caseload.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Caitriona Ruane, who headed a Bring Them Back Home campaign, has expressed fears for the men’s safety.
The South Down MLA has travelled to Colombia for the verdict.
She has called for an international escort if the men are released and is urging the Government to make representations on their behalf.
The verdict will be delivered by a senior judge at the Palace of Justice, Bogota.
If convicted the men, who all have links to the IRA, face up to 20 years in a Colombian jail.
They are expected to appeal to the international courts if found guilty.
