A Colombian judge has ruled that three alleged IRA suspects will stand trial over charges of training Marxist guerrillas in explosives and terrorism.

Jim Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly were arrested at Bogota's international airport in August 2001 and held in connection with having false documents.

Two of the men are from the Republic of Ireland and one is from Northern Ireland.

Judge Jairo Acosta ruled on Wednesday that the case would go ahead despite a decision by the three suspects to stay away from an araignment hearing in Bogota.

We have at least 10 witnesses who will be travelling to Colombia

Caitriona Ruane campaigner

It was the second time in two weeks that the three refused to leave their prison cell, claiming they would not receive a fair trial.

Instead their lawyers presented the judge with a statement signed by all three men which restated their claims that they were eco-tourists in Colombia observing the peace process and not there as members of the IRA to train FARC left wing rebels.

The charges from the prosecutor-general's office state the three men "instructed guerrillas in the manufacture of bombs, detonation of explosive artefacts and the planning of terrorist attacks".

The men were arrested on 11 August 2001, as they stepped off a plane from San Vicente del Caguan.

They were found to be travelling on three passports bearing the names David Bracken, John Kelly and Edward Campbell

Fair trial

At the time, the area was a government-declared "safe haven" controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

On Wednesday, the judge accepted a series of witnesses for the defence including Sinn Fein assembly member Gerry Kelly, prominent republican and writer Danny Morrison, and former IRA hunger-striker Laurence McKeown.

Catriona Ruane, who is leading a campaign for the men to be sent home, was in court.

Security was tight for the court hearing

"We have at least 10 witnesses who will be travelling to Colombia and then we have 40 public notary declarations which the judge has accepted," she said.

At a previous hearing two weeks ago, where the prosecution went ahead and outlined its case, the men's lawyers said there was no chance of them getting a fair trial because of what has been said publicly about them by senior Colombian officials.

It is believed the Colombian authorities had intelligence that the passports were false and the men were suspected of being members of the Provisional IRA.

A document obtained from the Colombian prosecutor general's office, due to be presented at the trial, contains evidence that the luggage and clothing of the Irishmen were subjected to forensic tests. These allegedly revealed traces of narcotics and explosives.

There is also a series of witness statements that allege sightings of the three men in the FARC guerrilla zone, not just in 2001 but as far back as 1998.

'Star witness'

The authorities are also said to have a "star witness" - a guerrilla deserter, known only as Alexander. He is expected to allege the Irishmen trained him in handling explosives.

The case has led to heightened tensions in the Northern Ireland political process.

Unionists have accused republicans of developing new weapons in South America while participating in the Stormont Government, which has now been suspended.

Sinn Fein has denied this and insisted the IRA ceasefire is intact.

The IRA leadership has denied authorising any action in Colombia and the men have all denied links with the IRA or Colombian guerrillas.

The FARC is a Marxist guerrilla army that has been fighting the Colombian Government for 38 years.

The men's trial will begin on 2 December.