The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, has expressed "anger and outrage" at the decision to sentence the so-called Colombia Three to 17 years in prison while the campaign group for the men has pledged to campaign internationally for their release.
Ms Caitríona Ruane, spokeswoman for the "Colombia Three Bring Them Home Campaign", speaking after news of the verdict against Martin McCauley, Jim Monaghan and Niall Connolly, said it was a huge blow to the men's families. "Coming in the month of Christmas it will be especially difficult for the eight children of the three men," she said in Belfast last night.
Both Sinn Féin and the Colombia Three group were last night reluctant to make any direct connection between the 17-year prison sentence and the collapse of the latest effort to restore devolution. They refused to be drawn when asked could this be a British-Irish-US-Colombian attempt to use the men as a possible "bargaining chip" in the dispute over whether or not the IRA should produce photographs of IRA decommissioning.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the issue of the Colombia Three and the peace process were "quite distinct".
She said that the Minister, Mr Ahern, "has considerable" views on the verdict and that the 17-year sentence "has taken some people by surprise", she added.
The spokeswoman added that the Irish ambassador in Mexico, Mr Art Agnew, was liaising with the Irish honorary consul in Colombia and the families of the men.
Ms Ruane described the decision by the appeal court in Colombia as "a miscarriage of justice of mammoth proportions" and said the Irish Government "at the highest level" must act to defend the men.
"These three Irish men spent three years in prison before being found innocent by a court which examined all the evidence, or lack of evidence, against them. That decision has now been overturned in what can only be regarded as a political decision by the Colombian courts," added Ms Ruane.
"The campaign to free the Colombia Three will now be intensified. We will be involving human rights and civil liberty groups across the world in a determined effort to expose the injustice done today and to secure the safe return of these three Irishmen," she said.
Sinn Féin president, Mr Adams was equally trenchant in expressing "anger and outrage" at the decision and describing the sentence as a breach of the men's human rights.
"This is a grievous miscarriage of justice, which will come as no great surprise given the record of human rights abuses by the Colombian government."
Mr the DUP Assembly member, however welcomed the decision stating that "representations made by me in writing to the Colombian ambassador and Colombian authorities have not been in vain.
"Clearly this sentence reflects the serious nature of the activities they engaged in while in Colombia. Their relationship with the anti-American drug distribution network of FARC is of grave concern to all democrats throughout the world," he added.
"Sinn Féin/IRA has yet to answer questions about the exact nature of their trip to Colombia. This sentence sends a strong signal to terrorists and criminals that international terrorist trips will last for more than just a few weeks," said Mr Paisley.
"On the basis of this sentence it appears as if Sinn Féin/IRA will have to wait a few years longer before welcoming their fellow travellers home. These prisoners are unlikely to benefit from any Belfast Agreement early release scheme."
Ulster Unionist MLA Mr Michael McGimpsey said, "This severe sentence reflects the global impatience with terrorism.
"This stance vindicates the Ulster Unionist position regarding Sinn Féin in government following the antics of republicans in the Colombian jungle and (where the IRA was alleged to have been involved in a spying operation) at Castlereagh and at Stormont."