Colombia 3 acquitted of trumped up charges
By Susanne Kelly
Three Irish activists who spent 32 months in
Colombian jails were acquitted on April 26 of trumped-up
charges of terrorism. But it is not clear when they will be
allowed to return home to Ireland.
Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley were
found guilty of traveling on false passports. They were
acquitted of the much more serious charges of training the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army
(FARC-EP).
The men, known around the world as the Colombia 3, were
arrested at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá in August 2001.
They were held for six months without charges, in constant fear
for their lives.
Their trial, which finally began in October 2002, was
stopped and started seven times before it concluded in August
2003. They have been held in six different prisons in varying
degrees of danger and mistreatment.
Connolly, Monaghan and McCauley said they were in Colombia
to observe the peace process then under way, like many other
international visitors. In the single statement that each man
made during the trial, they singled out the U.S. and British
embassies in Bogotá for special criticism, accusing them
of spreading misinformation about them.
The Irish activists said that their possession of passports
with assumed identities reflected only a desire to travel
unhindered. Under Colombian law this is a minor
offense--usually punishable only by deportation.
The men have lived in horrific conditions and without basic
human rights while jailed. Among the injustices: denial of
access to witnesses; threats not only to themselves but to
their lawyers, families and supporters; unfair procedures; and
degrading and inhumane treatment.
These conditions were confirmed by a delegation of
international observers who attended the court proceedings. The
observers included lawyers, elected officials and human-rights
activists from Ireland, the United States and Australia. They
reported serious inconsistencies in the prosecution's case,
flaws in the forensic evidence used against the Colombia 3,
interference by senior military and political figures, media
manipulation and fabricated evidence.
A key prosecution witness testified that the Irish activists
trained FARC members, but gave conflicting answers about dates
and types of training. The prosecution claimed it had satellite
photos, videotape and a written contract between FARC and the
three men. But none of these items was ever produced.
Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá stepped in
quickly to take forensic evidence and claimed to the media that
there was evidence the men had handled explosives and drugs.
This evidence was completely refuted by an expert and by
tests.
So why this farce? The "trial" was part of the U.S., British
and Colombian governments' strategy to accomplish their repres
sive goals. It was an attempt to link the Irish Republican Army
and the FARC and label them as "terrorists"--when in reality it
is U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony
Blair and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe who are the
terrorists.
In Britain, political, military and intelligence forces used
the trial to attempt to discredit Sinn Fein and undermine the
Irish peace process. Sinn Fein is the biggest political party
in Ireland, representing those who want the British out of the
Six Counties of northeast Ireland.
Niall Connolly, in his statement to the court, said, "Our
arrests and the mass disinformation and false stories have been
used to damage and undermine the Irish peace process."
Meanwhile, the Bush administration used the Colombia 3 trial
to push Congress to pour more money into Plan Colombia--and to
throw more support to right-wing Colombian President Uribe and
his murderous policies.
Uribe used the trial to create a huge media blitz as part of
the ongoing political and military attack on the FARC and other
popular movements. Colombia's former attorney general confirmed
that the case was politically motivated, that the Colombian
military used it to get more resources from the United States
and the British to suppress the movement.
What happens now? The men face fines of $6,000 each and jail
sentences from 26 to 44 months on the false passport
conviction. The Irish government has offered to loan the money
for the fines if the men are released now. Colombian
authorities say they are planning to appeal the acquittal on
the more serious charges.
Connolly, Monaghan and McCauley are now in La Modelo jail in
Bogotá, reputed to be one of the most dangerous jails in
the world. Family members and supporters still worry about
their safety. The "Bring Them Home" campaign that worked for
their release, along with the Irish government and defense
lawyers, have requested security for the Colombia 3 and two of
their supporters.
Catriona Ruane is one of the leaders of the "Bring Them
Home" campaign. After the verdict, Ruane said: "There is no
safe place for these men in Colombia. We will be telling the
Colombian authorities that we want the men home now and to stop
playing games with all our lives."
Reprinted from the May 13, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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