Defence lawyers for the so-called "Colombia Three" continued their efforts yesterday to secure permission for their clients to leave the country as soon as possible, on grounds of personal safety. Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, reports.
However, two appeals have now been lodged against the verdict in the case, the first by the prosecution and the second by the procurator general of Colombia, who monitors judicial procedures and human rights issues.
Last week James Monaghan (58), Martin McCauley (41), and Niall Connolly (38), were found not guilty of training FARC guerrillas in bomb-making techniques but given sentences between two and four years on the lesser charge of using false passports.
A bail payment of €17,000 , lent by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, has not been lodged because of fears that the three Irishmen will be in greater danger on the streets of Bogota than in the city's La Modelo prison.
The ideal solution from the defence lawyers' viewpoint is to have the men released and escorted under proper protection to the airport. They have presented two further affidavits to Judge Jairo Acosta in support of this request. He has until Friday to rule on the petition.
In a statement issued in Bogota, Ms Caitríona Ruane of the Bring Them Home Campaign said: "Defence lawyer Pedro Mahecha presented a letter from Art Agnew, Irish Ambassador to Mexico, informing him of the position of the Irish Government.
"In the letter to Pedro Mahecha, Ambassador Agnew states that it is the position of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, that the best way to guarantee the physical security of the men is to facilitate that they leave the country quickly."