The trial of three Irishmen charged with training Colombian rebels, which resumes today, is likely to be dominated by disputes about the original arrest procedures, the quality of forensic evidence and the veracity of prosecution witnesses, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, from Bogota
The trio, James Monaghan (56), Martin McCauley (40) and Niall Connolly (36), face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on a charge of instructing Colombia's FARC rebels in bomb-making techniques. They are also charged with using false passports.
The case will be decided by a judge sitting on his own. Prosecution witnesses are expected to state they saw the three men training the Marxist guerrillas in an area of the country formerly under the autonomous control of FARC, which has connections with the drug trade.
The three men were arrested on August 11th, 2001. In a carefully-phrased comment, an Australian human rights lawyer, Mr Shaun Kerrigan, said it "seems to have been unusual" that they were held in a military barracks for two days before the Colombian civil authorities were informed of their arrest.
Another observer, Senator Mary White of Fianna Fáil, expressed concern about conditions in La Modelo prison where the men are being held. "There is hardly any air," she said after a visit yesterday. "They have not had fresh air for a month." Conditions were overcrowded and there was a shortage of natural light.
Defence lawyers will challenge forensic evidence reportedly gathered by a US embassy official. The accused men are not expected to turn up in court as they claim the legal process has been unfair.