Broad welcome for 'Colombia Three' verdict

The has been a broadly positive reaction to today's judgement in Bogota which found the Colombia Three not guilty of training…

The has been a broadly positive reaction to today's judgement in Bogota which found the Colombia Three not guilty of training FARC rebels in bomb-making techniques.

Sinn Féin's North Belfast MLA Mr Gerry Kelly welcomed the judgement but added there was a lot of anger that the process had taken so long.

"Today's verdict from Judge Jairo Acosta is welcome and will come as a huge relief to the men's families and friends and to those who have been campaigning for their release for almost three years now," Mr Kelly said.

"From the very moment of their arrests their basic rights were denied, there was extensive false reporting in the media and the investigation was closed before key witnesses were interviewed. There was also ongoing political interference in the trial."

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"It is vital that the men now have safe escort out of the country to come home to their families," he added.

"This whole episode has been a travesty for the men and their families and they should now be allowed to get on with their lives in peace," Mr Kelly added.

Ms Caitriona Ruane of the Bring Them Home campaign said the decision had implications for those who had criticised them.

The South Down Sinn Fein MLA said: "There is a lesson in this for those who convicted these men in public statements and in the media before a verdict was even given in the court in Colombia.

"I think the lesson is that people have to start respecting the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

"I am delighted for the men and for their families who have suffered so much. Three years have been taken from these men's lives. They have suffered a lot in cramped prison conditions.

"I would like to pay tribute to them, to all the people who campaigned for these men, the international observers who went out there to Colombia and the witnesses who came forward and the ordinary people in Ireland who supported the campaign to bring the three back home."

The Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams also welcomed the verdict and congratulated all those involved in the Bring them Home Campaign.

Mr. Adams said: "The last three years have been very difficult for the men and their families. They have been pilloried in the media, their case subject to huge prejudicial commentary and the men's lives have been in constant danger.  And of course this case has been used to try and destabilise the Irish peace process."

"I want to congratulate the families, those involved in the Bring them Home campaign and the International Observers, all of whom campaigned to ensure today's verdict happened."

Independent Senator, Ms Mary White, who was in Colombia to hear the judgement, welcomed the ruling. She told ireland.comafter the ruling: "This is a great tribute to the Colombian judicial system" that the judge didn't come under any pressure.

The Democratic Unionist Party's Policing Board member, Mr Ian Paisley Jnr said while the three men had been "let off", clear links existed between the IRA and Farc.

"Provo tactics, honed against the people of Northern Ireland over a 30 year period, have already brought death and destruction IRA style to the streets of Bogota and Medillin," the North Antrim Assembly Member said.

"There are still questions which Sinn Fein/IRA must answer, such as the extent of their links to worldwide terrorist groupings, what their representatives were doing travelling deep in Farc territory on illegal documents and what is their connection to the despicable Castro regime in Cuba."

Mr Paisley said had the men been convicted, there would have been "massive repercussions" for the peace process.

He added: "There will, no doubt, now be homecoming celebrations for these men. It will be interesting to see what political party is at the FARCjungle farce in numbers to welcome them home."

Meanwhile Sir Reg Empey of the Ulster Unionist Party said major questions remained to be answered following the men's acquittal of training Farc rebels.

"While the three involved have been found not guilty of training FARC guerrillas, huge question marks remain as to why the three men involved were travelling with false documents. If their business in Colombia was benign then why travel with false passports and identity documents?"

"Huge question marks remain as to why the three men involved were travelling with false documents," he added.