Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04BOGOTA4319
2004-04-28 22:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

THREE ALLEGED IRA MEMBERS ACQUITTED ON TERRORISM

Tags:  PGOV PTER PHUM PREL KJUS CO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004319 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND, S/CT AND EUR/UBI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2014
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM PREL KJUS CO
SUBJECT: THREE ALLEGED IRA MEMBERS ACQUITTED ON TERRORISM
CHARGES

REF: A. 03 BOGOTA 3443

B. 02 BOGOTA 11148

Classified By: DCM Milton K. Drucker, reason 1.4 (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004319

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND, S/CT AND EUR/UBI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2014
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM PREL KJUS CO
SUBJECT: THREE ALLEGED IRA MEMBERS ACQUITTED ON TERRORISM
CHARGES

REF: A. 03 BOGOTA 3443

B. 02 BOGOTA 11148

Classified By: DCM Milton K. Drucker, reason 1.4 (d).


1. (U) Three Irish citizens -- Niall Connolly, Martin
McCauley, and James Monaghan -- were acquitted on charges of
training Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
guerrillas in the use of explosives and urban terrorist
tactics. The three men were, however, found guilty of
entering the country using false documents and were sentenced
to prison terms ranging from 26 to 44 months. Because the
three men have been in prison since they were originally
detained in Bogota's El Dorado airport in August 2001, the
presiding judge has reduced the sentence for each to time
served, a fine of 17,900,000 Colombian pesos (approximately
USD 6,900 each) and expulsion from Colombia upon payment of
the fine. Under Colombian law, the Office of the Prosecutor
General ("Fiscalia") has the right to appeal the judge's
decision. Prosecutors have announced their intention to do
so. All three have been granted conditional parole pending
the outcome of the appeal. They are expected to be released
from prison today. Should the prosecutors' attempt to appeal
the decision fail, the three will be immediately deported
upon payment of the assessed fine.


2. (C) Prosecutors had alleged that the three were members of
the IRA and had trained FARC guerrillas in the FARC's former
"despeje" in 2000 and 2001. The three denied the charges,
stating that they had come to Colombia to observe peace talks
then underway between the GOC and FARC. The prosecutors'
case was severely weakened when two key witnesses refused to
testify (ref B) and by the defense's introduction of
videotapes and testimony from witnesses contradicting
accounts that the three had been observed training FARC
operatives in the "despeje." During the trial, prosecutors
also presented evidence linking all three to the IRA.

WOOD