Fugitives of Colombia Return to Ireland

Three men linked to the Irish Republican Army who were convicted of training rebels in Colombia have resurfaced in Ireland eight months after going on the run.

Irish national broadcaster RTE carried an interview with one of the fugitives, James Monaghan. He said all three had returned to Ireland recently, “and, as you can imagine, a lot of people in a lot of countries had to help us.”

Monaghan would not provide any details of how the three evaded international arrest warrants. He said he did not consider himself “on the run” and hoped Ireland would not extradite the men back to Colombia.

Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley were arrested in August 2001 as they were trying to board a flight out of Colombia after spending about 18 months with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The men were charged with training rebels to make and deploy weaponry, including truck-mounted mortars.

They initially were acquitted on all major charges but were ordered to remain in Colombia pending the government’s appeal to a higher court, which in December convicted them and imposed 17-year prison sentences. The three immediately disappeared.

Spokesmen for the British and Irish governments Friday denied any advance knowledge of the men’s return.

A spokesman for Britain’s Northern Ireland Office said the men would be arrested and extradited if they were caught in Northern Ireland, which is part of Britain.

Britain has an extradition treaty with Colombia, but Ireland does not.

A spokesman for the Irish Justice Department said an extradition application from Colombia “would be considered.”