Three Irish men being held in a high security jail in Colombia are refusing to eat because of fears that they might be poisoned.
|
|
Mr Niall Connolly, Mr James Monaghan and Mr Martin McCauley
|
Mr Niall Connolly, Mr Martin McAuley and Mr James Monaghan, accused of training paramilitaries and travelling on false passports are protesting over being refused access to the kitchen and have not eaten in five days.
"The threat of poison is very real," a campaigner on behalf of the men, Ms Caitriona Ruane, said. She told ireland.comthat a prisoner being held in the same wing as the men was recently found to have traces of strychnine in his system. Since the incident, two months ago prisoners were allowed prepare their own food but this concession has now been removed.
The prisoners continued to obtain food and drink from the prison shop but now all the food has been removed from the shop.
Ms Ruane who spoke to one of the men late last night confirmed that the men had not taken food in five days. She said "there is no safe food supply available" to them in the jail.
The Irish embassy in Mexico, which is accredited to Colombia confirmed that they have contacted prison authorities and said the situation was being "carefully monitored." A spokesperson could not confirm if the men had refused food.
The chances of the three receiving a fair trial are being further eroded, according to Ms Ruane.
She added that their right to a fair trial had already been denied because of prejudicial media attention and the fact that the men’s lawyers have been "obstructed and continually denied access to the men."
The Government recently requested that the Colombian authorities ensure that the three were well treated after concern was expressed about their conditions in the prison.