A Sinn Féin spokesman said yesterday Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris were unable to comment personally on repeated allegations of IRA army council membership by the Minister for Justice because they are on holidays.
"They all categorically deny these allegations. This is just Michael McDowell engaging in his usual anti-republican rhetoric."
Sinn Féin Assembly member Caitríona Ruane of the Bring Them Home campaign did comment, however. Ms Ruane said she was disappointed at Mr McDowell's remarks and accused him of acting in a manner that was contrary to the Constitution and prejudicial to the human rights of the "Colombia Three".
"The Irish Government at the highest level is aware that the case against these men was fabricated. They were never properly convicted of training Farc in Colombia and were not guilty of that offence," said Ms Ruane.
She was concerned that Mr McDowell appeared to be saying that the Government could enact legislation to extradite the three men back to Colombia. "He should take legal advice on this matter because our best legal advice is that they cannot be extradited," she said.
Ms Ruane said she did not agree with the suggestion of Mr McDowell that the men could possibly be imprisoned here for travelling on false passports. "They have already served time in prison in Colombia which would cover any false passport charges," she said.
The Minister's assertion that Mr Adams, Mr McGuinness and Mr Ferris were directly responsible for the problems caused by the return of the three fugitives, because they were allegedly members of the IRA army council when the decision to train Farc guerrillas was made, "was not worthy of a response", she said.
Ms Ruane added: "This is a contrived issue. The real urgent issue is to try and get political talks up and running by September. Minister McDowell would be better served doing something for the beleaguered Catholics of north Antrim. I haven't heard much about that from him."
Dublin Sinn Féin councillor Dáithí Doolan commented: "Minister McDowell's claim that Gerry Adams and the Sinn Féin leadership had anything to do with the men's trip to Colombia is just pathetic political opportunism, which I wouldn't even dignify with a response."
He added: "Michael McDowell's blatant disregard for the evidence produced at the trial in Colombia, which found the men innocent of the charges levelled against them, certainly puts a question mark over his suitability to be Minister for Justice. Is he seriously suggesting that he accepts the extremely dubious methods used to secure convictions against these men on appeal? Does he believe in secret tribunals overturning the verdict of an open court, which heard all the evidence?
Is this the system of so-called justice the Minister for Justice and former attorney general would like to see in Ireland? If it is, I suspect most sensible people in this State would be not just concerned about civil and human rights in Colombia, but the implication of the Minister's comments for civil and human rights in this country."
