Three Irishmen accused of training Colombian leftist guerrillas in the use of explosives will appeal the charges brought against them, supporters said tonight.
The Colombian newspaper El Espectadorreported Friday that Mr Niall Connolly, Mr Martin McCauley and Mr James Monaghan had been charged with training members of the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the use of explosives.
Quoting official sources, the weekly reported on its website that the three men also had been charged with using false documents to disguise their identities and the true nature of their activities in Colombia.
Currently in jail in Colombia, the men are to remain under arrest until their trial and, if found guilty, could each be sentenced to up to eight years in prison, the weekly reported.
But according to the Ireland-based association that has been set up to campaign on their behalf, neither the three men nor their lawyers have been officially informed of the charges.
Association spokeswoman Ms Caitriona Ruane said that the lawyers hoped to meet with prosecutors early tomorrow to find out more about the case.
"The prosecution has systematically been leaking information to the media," she said. "It's a violation of their rights to a fair trial."
Witnesses testified that they saw the three men in the zone in southern Colombia controlled by FARC, and technical evidence had revealed traces of explosives on their clothes, El Espectadorreported.
Mr Connolly, Mr McCauley and Mr Monaghan were arrested by the Colombian military at Bogota's international airport on August 11th.
Ms Ruane said the prosecution had only been taking account of the evidence against the men, choosing to interview witnesses that would back their case against the three.
She claimed 15 witnesses submitted by the defence lawyers had not been interviewed.
Ms Ruane said the witnesses, including the men's employers, were refuting reports that the men were even in Colombia at the time alleged by prosecutors.
In October, Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams acknowledged Mr Connolly (36) was a Sinn Féin representative in Cuba, though he said the appointment was made without his knowledge or official authorization from the group.
The IRA has denied the three men are members.
AFP