[Ppnews] Mistrial in Hostage Case Against Colombian Rebel

[Political Prisoner News]

Wednesday, July 11, 2007; A02

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001877_pf.html

Mistrial in Hostage Case Against Colombian Rebel

A mistrial was declared yesterday in the terrorism trial of a 
Colombian rebel leader after a federal jury could not reach a verdict.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Ricardo+Palmera?tid=informline>Ricardo 
Palmera, who is better known by his nom de guerre, Simon Trinidad, 
was convicted Monday of conspiring to take three Americans hostage in 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Colombia?tid=informline>Colombia. 
He also faced three charges of actual hostage-taking and one of 
providing material support to a terrorist group, the 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/FARC?tid=informline>Revolutionary 
Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, but the jury declared it was 
hopelessly deadlocked after five days of deliberations.

Palmera faces decades in prison on the conspiracy charge, but 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Department+of+Justice?tid=informline>Justice 
Department officials are offering leniency in their sentencing 
recommendation if FARC guerrillas release the Americans from a jungle 
prison camp unharmed. The three men have been held since 2003.

"The FARC has two months" until Palmera likely is sentenced, 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth C. Kohl said. "Release them unharmed 
so they can be with their families."




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