“Monaghan was not at home yesterday..”

Some intriguing connections revealed in an Irish Times report today, as Spanish authorities seek Jose Ignacio de Juana Chaos – who was freed from a Spanish prison on 2 August after serving 21 years for the murders of 25 people. The request comes as a number of suspected members of the Basque separatist group Eta were arrested following a series of terrorist attacks in Spain. From the Irish Times report.

The Dublin address for the wanted man stated in yesterday’s court petition is the home of James Monaghan, a member of the Colombia Three. The court petition has been seen by The Irish Times. The man at the centre of the case is Inaki de Juana Chaos. The 52-year-old was sentenced to 3,000 years in prison for a series of 25 murders in the 1980s. He was released from prison after 21 years on August 3rd and flew to Ireland the next day.

However, on his release he wrote a letter expressing his support for the continuation of Eta’s Basque separatist terrorist campaign. The letter was read at a meeting and also published in a pro-Eta newspaper. Mr De Juana Chaos is now wanted for the crime of “terrorism apologist”, a serious offence in Spain punishable by a custodial sentence. The Dublin address stated in the petition by Judge Eloy Velasco at Madrid’s special terrorist court is in Killester, Dublin 5. Monaghan was not at home yesterday to answer questions about the latest developments in the case in Spain.

Update According to the iol report

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said Gardaí would give whatever support they could in the hunt for Inaki. “As far as I’m concerned and the Government is concerned, Ireland should not have terrorists, either indigenous or foreign, on our shores,” he said. “If any request comes from any other country in relation to their own terrorists who are running around the world, we will cooperate as we always do.”

Adds And from the BBC report

There have been reports in the Spanish media that Mr Chaos has fled the Republic and may be hiding in Northern Ireland, with sympathisers in the republican movement. Traditional Unionist Voice leader, Jim Allister MEP, said Basque separatists had many links with Sinn Fein. “If Sinn Fein has any semblance of support for the rule of law then let them hand over this internationally wanted terrorist,” he said. Sinn Fein has said that Mr Chaos has nothing to do with them.

More In The Times report.