dougal
Active member
Does anyone have any views on the Columbia 3??
www.bringthemhome.ie
Issued on behalf of the families of Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and Jim Monaghan.
The arrest, detention and continued treatment of the three Irish men held in Colombia constitute a flagrant breach of their human rights.
Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and Jim Monaghan were arrested at Bogota airport on August 11 en route to Ireland from the demilitarised zone, controlled by the FARC in south east Colombia.
The Colombian military, whose notorious 13th brigade arrested the three men claimed that satellite images would prove the allegation that the men were training the FARC in the use of explosives. The 13th Brigade has been cited by international human rights agencies for involvement in torture, kidnapping and unlawful killings over
recent years.
In subsequent days the claim that the men had been photographed by satellite was withdrawn.
Recent investigation by Irish and Colombian lawyers acting for the men have confirmed that the forensic examinations were carried out in most unsatisfactory circumstances and in a manner which would be totally unacceptable to courts in this or other normal jurisdictions.
The men's bags were transported from the FARC demilitarised zone in the hold of an aircraft owned by the Colombian military and often used for the transport of military supplies.
When they were arrested the bags were placed on a table in a military compound which had been used for storing detonators and other military equipment.
The clothes which the men were wearing were not tested and no swabs were taken from the men's bodies, a clear breach of accepted procedures and a fact which clearly undermines the quality of the investigation process.
The most detailed forensic test, carried out by the Colombian police authorities, found no traces of drugs or explosives on the men's clothes or bags, according to reports in Bogota.
The Colombian military also claimed to have witnesses who identified at least one of the men on previous visits to the FARC zone. It also claims that it had comments made on radio by a FARC commander allegedly stating that three "monos" or blondes were involved in explosives training.
Newspapers in Ireland and Britain reproduced these unsubstantiated claims without telling readers that the military regularly claims to intercept self incriminating messages from FARC commanders, claims that are refuted in Colombia's media with equal frequency.
In deciding to detain rather than deport the men, the normal punishment for using false documents, the Colombian authorities may also have been influenced by inaccurate and unsubstantiated Irish and British media reports.
These were reproduced in the Bogota newspapers and television which, without a shred of evidence, alleged that the men were involved inter alia in the manufacture of explosives, in the transport of Semtex to Colombia and in the construction of Napalm bombs.
These outlandish reports were attributed to unidentified British security sources while a claim reported in the Irish media that all three were known members of the IRA was subsequently discounted by senior Gardai in Dublin.
The Garda confirmed that at least one of the men, Niall Connolly, had never been known as a member of Sinn Fein or the IRA.
This confirmation came after the three had been detained for further investigation.
Within days of their arrest the three were removed to the notorious La Modelo jail in central Bogota where right wing para-militaries regularly clash with the left wing members of FARC.
The three, highly exposed Irishmen, already accused of collaborating with the FARC, became immediate targets for attack by the right wing factions. However, they were housed in a section of the jail directly under the right wing para-militaries where they were vulnerable to attack at anyt ime.
Three nervous and scarcely armed guards were the only defence the men had from a heavily armed group housed only two doors away.
In a further breach of their human rights they were denied access to fresh air or exercise for the first ten days of their detention in Modelo. They were held together in a cell 4m by 4m.
Because of the conditions in which the men were held for the first five weeks the preparation of a proper legal defence was not possible.
After pressure from the men and their families through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish embassy in Mexico city, they were moved in early September to the Dijin police headquarters in central Bogota.
Here they are held in safer conditions although again in circumstances which clearly breach their fundamental human rights.
They denied being involved in any illegal or military activities. They said that as known republicans McCauley and Monaghan could only travel, without harassment, to such places on false documents. Connolly said that as a Cuban resident he could not safely travel in the region without using false documents.
The FARC commander, Raul Reyes, has told ITN television that the men met him for political discussions. Its senior commander, Marulanda, has claimed that the arrests of the three Irish men are part of an attempt by the Colombian military to destroy the peace process in that country.
The IRA has stated that it did not send any of its members to Colombia to engage in military co-operation with any group. Read statment>>>
The Colombian government has confirmed that one of the stated objectives of the demilitarisation zone was to encourage and allow international organisations, governments and individuals to visit the FARC for political
discussions.
It is a commitment contained in the accords agreed between the FARC and the Colombian government of President Pastrana earlier this year.Paragraph 9 of the Joint Agreement on the Peace Process signed at Los Pozos by the Colombian and FARC - EP in February 2001 states;
"Understanding the importance of the international community to the success of the peace process in Colombia, we are inviting representatives of friendly countries and international organisations to come on 8 March so that we can inform them about the state and progress of the process and encourage their collaboration. The National Dialogue and Negotiation Table will determine how often these meetings will take place."
The high profile arrests coincided with a critical phase in the Colombian and Irish peace processes.
In Colombia, the demilitarised zone was extended until January 2002 following diccusions between the government and FARC. This was agreed despite clear pressures from the Colombian army, recently re-armed with sophisticated weapons under the US financed $1.3 billion Plan Colombia, and which does not want a peace process when it believes that it can achieve a military victory over the FARC. Recent events in Colombia have confirmed that the peace process in that country is under severe pressure.
Certain media outlets and politicians in Ireland used the arrests to advance their political agendas by making inflammatory and inaccurate statements which have contributed to the decision by the Colombian authorities to detain them.
Inaccurate and unsubstantiated allegations were made against the men including the claim that they are part of some "narco-terrorist conspiracy".
Legal and human rights sources in Colombia (who cannot be named due to fears for their own security) have confirmed that there is no safe place of detention for these men in a country where jails are full of factions armed with weapons and explosives.The publicity surrounding their arrest and their physical complexion makes them particularly vulnerable to attack.
Human rights organisations and legal sources share the view that the longer they remain in detention the greater the risk to their lives.
Many lawyers and human rights experts also believe that their chances of securing a fair legal process is also remote given the publicity surrounding their arrest and the manner in which evidence was collected against them.
The delay in preparing an adequate legal defence against the allegations by the Colombian military has also damaged their prospects of obtaining a fair legal process.
Their legal representatives in Colombia have stressed that only a powerful, diplomatic and political campaign directed at the Colombian government will achieve their safe return to their families. The Catholic Church which has great influence in Colombia can be an important element in such a campaign.
A legal process is not sufficient to secure their safety although it is essential to pursue all the necessary legal and judicial procedures in Colombia.
The campaign for their immediate release on humanitarian grounds must mobilise the concerned public in Ireland, the international human rights community and the governments of those countries with vital interests in Colombia, including the US and Britain.
Ireland, as a key member of the United Nations Security Council, on which Colombia also has a representative has particular influence through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen at this time.
The UN Human Rights commission can also have a vital role in protecting the men's welfare and highlighting the current difficulties in Colombia.
The European Union presidency and human rights organisations in Ireland and abroad, and the Catholic Church, which has a major influence in Colombia, can also assist in securing the release of these men on humanitarian grounds.
www.bringthemhome.ie
Issued on behalf of the families of Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and Jim Monaghan.
The arrest, detention and continued treatment of the three Irish men held in Colombia constitute a flagrant breach of their human rights.
Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and Jim Monaghan were arrested at Bogota airport on August 11 en route to Ireland from the demilitarised zone, controlled by the FARC in south east Colombia.
The Colombian military, whose notorious 13th brigade arrested the three men claimed that satellite images would prove the allegation that the men were training the FARC in the use of explosives. The 13th Brigade has been cited by international human rights agencies for involvement in torture, kidnapping and unlawful killings over
recent years.
In subsequent days the claim that the men had been photographed by satellite was withdrawn.
Recent investigation by Irish and Colombian lawyers acting for the men have confirmed that the forensic examinations were carried out in most unsatisfactory circumstances and in a manner which would be totally unacceptable to courts in this or other normal jurisdictions.
The men's bags were transported from the FARC demilitarised zone in the hold of an aircraft owned by the Colombian military and often used for the transport of military supplies.
When they were arrested the bags were placed on a table in a military compound which had been used for storing detonators and other military equipment.
The clothes which the men were wearing were not tested and no swabs were taken from the men's bodies, a clear breach of accepted procedures and a fact which clearly undermines the quality of the investigation process.
The most detailed forensic test, carried out by the Colombian police authorities, found no traces of drugs or explosives on the men's clothes or bags, according to reports in Bogota.
The Colombian military also claimed to have witnesses who identified at least one of the men on previous visits to the FARC zone. It also claims that it had comments made on radio by a FARC commander allegedly stating that three "monos" or blondes were involved in explosives training.
Newspapers in Ireland and Britain reproduced these unsubstantiated claims without telling readers that the military regularly claims to intercept self incriminating messages from FARC commanders, claims that are refuted in Colombia's media with equal frequency.
In deciding to detain rather than deport the men, the normal punishment for using false documents, the Colombian authorities may also have been influenced by inaccurate and unsubstantiated Irish and British media reports.
These were reproduced in the Bogota newspapers and television which, without a shred of evidence, alleged that the men were involved inter alia in the manufacture of explosives, in the transport of Semtex to Colombia and in the construction of Napalm bombs.
These outlandish reports were attributed to unidentified British security sources while a claim reported in the Irish media that all three were known members of the IRA was subsequently discounted by senior Gardai in Dublin.
The Garda confirmed that at least one of the men, Niall Connolly, had never been known as a member of Sinn Fein or the IRA.
This confirmation came after the three had been detained for further investigation.
Within days of their arrest the three were removed to the notorious La Modelo jail in central Bogota where right wing para-militaries regularly clash with the left wing members of FARC.
The three, highly exposed Irishmen, already accused of collaborating with the FARC, became immediate targets for attack by the right wing factions. However, they were housed in a section of the jail directly under the right wing para-militaries where they were vulnerable to attack at anyt ime.
Three nervous and scarcely armed guards were the only defence the men had from a heavily armed group housed only two doors away.
In a further breach of their human rights they were denied access to fresh air or exercise for the first ten days of their detention in Modelo. They were held together in a cell 4m by 4m.
Because of the conditions in which the men were held for the first five weeks the preparation of a proper legal defence was not possible.
After pressure from the men and their families through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish embassy in Mexico city, they were moved in early September to the Dijin police headquarters in central Bogota.
Here they are held in safer conditions although again in circumstances which clearly breach their fundamental human rights.
They denied being involved in any illegal or military activities. They said that as known republicans McCauley and Monaghan could only travel, without harassment, to such places on false documents. Connolly said that as a Cuban resident he could not safely travel in the region without using false documents.
The FARC commander, Raul Reyes, has told ITN television that the men met him for political discussions. Its senior commander, Marulanda, has claimed that the arrests of the three Irish men are part of an attempt by the Colombian military to destroy the peace process in that country.
The IRA has stated that it did not send any of its members to Colombia to engage in military co-operation with any group. Read statment>>>
The Colombian government has confirmed that one of the stated objectives of the demilitarisation zone was to encourage and allow international organisations, governments and individuals to visit the FARC for political
discussions.
It is a commitment contained in the accords agreed between the FARC and the Colombian government of President Pastrana earlier this year.Paragraph 9 of the Joint Agreement on the Peace Process signed at Los Pozos by the Colombian and FARC - EP in February 2001 states;
"Understanding the importance of the international community to the success of the peace process in Colombia, we are inviting representatives of friendly countries and international organisations to come on 8 March so that we can inform them about the state and progress of the process and encourage their collaboration. The National Dialogue and Negotiation Table will determine how often these meetings will take place."
The high profile arrests coincided with a critical phase in the Colombian and Irish peace processes.
In Colombia, the demilitarised zone was extended until January 2002 following diccusions between the government and FARC. This was agreed despite clear pressures from the Colombian army, recently re-armed with sophisticated weapons under the US financed $1.3 billion Plan Colombia, and which does not want a peace process when it believes that it can achieve a military victory over the FARC. Recent events in Colombia have confirmed that the peace process in that country is under severe pressure.
Certain media outlets and politicians in Ireland used the arrests to advance their political agendas by making inflammatory and inaccurate statements which have contributed to the decision by the Colombian authorities to detain them.
Inaccurate and unsubstantiated allegations were made against the men including the claim that they are part of some "narco-terrorist conspiracy".
Legal and human rights sources in Colombia (who cannot be named due to fears for their own security) have confirmed that there is no safe place of detention for these men in a country where jails are full of factions armed with weapons and explosives.The publicity surrounding their arrest and their physical complexion makes them particularly vulnerable to attack.
Human rights organisations and legal sources share the view that the longer they remain in detention the greater the risk to their lives.
Many lawyers and human rights experts also believe that their chances of securing a fair legal process is also remote given the publicity surrounding their arrest and the manner in which evidence was collected against them.
The delay in preparing an adequate legal defence against the allegations by the Colombian military has also damaged their prospects of obtaining a fair legal process.
Their legal representatives in Colombia have stressed that only a powerful, diplomatic and political campaign directed at the Colombian government will achieve their safe return to their families. The Catholic Church which has great influence in Colombia can be an important element in such a campaign.
A legal process is not sufficient to secure their safety although it is essential to pursue all the necessary legal and judicial procedures in Colombia.
The campaign for their immediate release on humanitarian grounds must mobilise the concerned public in Ireland, the international human rights community and the governments of those countries with vital interests in Colombia, including the US and Britain.
Ireland, as a key member of the United Nations Security Council, on which Colombia also has a representative has particular influence through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen at this time.
The UN Human Rights commission can also have a vital role in protecting the men's welfare and highlighting the current difficulties in Colombia.
The European Union presidency and human rights organisations in Ireland and abroad, and the Catholic Church, which has a major influence in Colombia, can also assist in securing the release of these men on humanitarian grounds.