Republican News · Thursday 25 September 2002

Worry as Connolly is moved back and forth

Campaigners on behalf of the Colombia Three were shocked to learn last Friday, 13 September, that Niall Connolly, had been taken that morning from the jail in La Picota, Bogota, where the three men have been held for the majority of their detention, and brought to Combita jail, three hours outside Bogota.

This was very worrying because Niall is the only Spanish speaker among the three men. The lawyers do not speak English and the men's trial is coming up in three weeks. There were also concerns for the safety of the men, who have been held together since their arrest.

Their families were on route by air from Ireland to visit the men, the first family visit since April, when Niall was moved.

The Bring Them Home campaign made immediate representations to the 26-County government, the United Nations, International Red Cross, Ombsudman, and lawyers in Colombia, informing them of the situation.

"Each of these organisations made further representation to the relevant Colombian authorities," said campaign spokesperson Caitriona Ruane.

"Late Friday night, we received word that the order had been reversed and Niall Connolly was back in his cell in La Picota. The men's families are very pleased that they are together again. I spoke to Niall Connolly last night at 12pm and he was looking forward to visits with his family."

The swift reversal of a move instigated by the Colombian armed forces is a measure of the international attention that campaigners have managed to focus on the case of the three men.

"We are grateful for the assistance of the International Human Rights organisations, the lawyers and the Irish government," said Ruane.

"We are calling on the Colombian authorities to release the men, stop violating their human rights and send them home to their families."

Ruane was in Dublin on Wednesday for a meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs, where she received an assurance that the government will send a diplomatic observer to the start of the trial. She also lobbiied for the government to send a legal observer for the trial's duration. The campaign has also lobbied all the political parties and human rights groups to send observers.