Madden & Finucane
Ranked
Number 1
by Chambers,
the clients guide
to the legal profession
Chambers and Partners have been publishing their
world-famous guides to the legal profession since 1990. The key to the success
of their legal directories and the validity of their awards is the in-depth,
unbiased research conducted by their team of highly qualified and experienced
researchers. View more
Madden & Finucane
present
the Madden & Finucane
and Pat Finucane
Aisling Awards
The Aisling Bursaries, launched in March 2000, are
an educational initiative between Belfast Media Group and West Belfast
Partnership. The Aisling Bursaries are designed to help students defray their
education and training costs.
View
more
|
|
Campaigner vows to free Colombia Three
04 October 2001 --
CAMPAIGN: Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan who are being held
in police custody in Bogota FORMER Belfast Feile an Phobail director Caitriona
Ruane is the chief campaigner behind a push to repatriate three Irishmen accused
of training FARC guerillas in Colombia. Ms Ruane has just returned from a
seven-day visit to South America and yesterday launched a human rights campaign
to get the men released. The high-profile figure says she got involved after a
request from the trio’s Irish solicitor Peter Madden. In an exclusive interview
with the Irish News Ms Ruane said the ‘Bring Them Home’ campaign was launched to
establish a legal team and “proper defence” for the men. When Ms Ruane announced
she was stepping down as director of Feile an Phobail last month, she dismissed
speculation she might stand as a Sinn Fein candidate in the forthcoming general
election in the Republic. She said last night her previous human rights work,
fluent Spanish and a wide knowledge of South America had helped land her latest
role. Sinn Fein has been under intense international pressure since the arrest
of republicans Martin McCauley, James Monaghan and Niall Connolly in Bogota on
August 11. The Colombian military alleges the three were training members of the
leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The men deny the claim
but admit they were travelling on false passports. McCauley (39), originally
from Lurgan, was wounded in 1982 during an attack on a hay-shed by RUC officers.
The father-of-three, who was Sinn Fein director of elections in Upper Bann
during the 1996 Forum election, was the only survivor of the alleged
shoot-to-kill operation. Fluent Spanish speaker Connolly (36) from Dublin,
“facilitated visits by Sinn Fein delegations to Cuba,” according to the campaign
but has “never been a member of any political party”. Sinn Fein has dismissed
claims by the Cuban government that Connolly represented the party in Havana.
Monaghan, originally from Donegal, is a former member of Sinn Fein’s ard
comhairle. He first made his mark with the IRA in the early seventies when he
was jailed for planting incendiary devices in shops and businesses. He was later
jailed for firearms possession. In July 1976 he escaped from Dublin special
criminal court with three other IRA suspects after a double bomb blast caused
chaos. Ms Ruane, a friend of the Connolly family, said the campaign came about
because of fears for the men’s safety. The three are being held in a police
compound after being moved from Bogota’s notorious Modelo jail where riots and
killings are routine. On the trip to Colombia with Ms Ruane was Peter Madden of
Madden and Finucane solicitors and Dan Connolly, a brother of Mr Connolly. She
said: “The object of the visit was twofold, primarily it was to get legal
representation for the three men and secondly to set up visiting conditions for
the families. “The men are being held in very bad conditions and as far as I can
see they are not safe anywhere in Colombia.
|
|
more..
|
|
|