Defence to make final pleas in Colombia Three trial

Defence lawyers representing the three Irishmen accused of training Marxist rebels in Colombia are due to make their final submissions to a Bogota court this evening.

Mr Niall Connolly, Mr James Monaghan and Mr Martin McCauley, dubbed the Colombia Three by the media, are accused of training the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in IRA bomb-making techniques.

They were arrested in Bogota International Airport in August 2001, carrying false passports. They were returning from a FARC-controlled demilitarised zone.

They claimed in statements to the court yesterday that their right to a fair trial had been consistently undermined by statements from senior Colombian military figures and by speculative press coverage.

They also accused the British and US embassies in Colombia of prejudicing their trials through a programme of disinformation and propaganda about the Northern Ireland peace process.

The three men all deny the charges of training FARC, and insisted they were only in the region to observe the Colombian peace process, which broke down in February 2002. They also denied being members of the IRA.

"The charge of training the FARC is a false charge, basedon false evidence. The training never happened and I and myfriends are therefore not guilty," said Mr Monaghan.

It was the first time they had appeared in court since the non-jury trial began last October. For the previous nine months, they have been refusing to appear, citing fears for their safety. They claim they are targets for the right-wing militias who are fighting the FARC in the Colombian civil war.

They are currently beingheld in a special wing of Bogota's notorious Modelo prison.

Although the judge, Dr Jair Acosta, technically has two weeks to consider his verdict once proceedings end today, the men's fate may not be known for several months.

If found guilty of training the FARC, the men could face a sentence of up to 24 years. If convicted on the less serious charge of using false passports, they would be liable to a sentence of between two and eight years.