Tag: Owen Paterson

BALLYMURPHY MASSACRE FAMILIES STILL AWAITING INQUIRY

I FIND the split personality of the first minister Peter Robinson totally amazing on the  subject of victims. As recently as May 10, Mr Robinson in his role as first minister meet family members of the Birmingham bombing victims.

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After meeting them he said a new investigation was necessary. He also said that they must try to pinpoint who was responsible for this dreadful act. He then asked families to put ttogether a dossier of documents of their campaign and he would pass them on to David Cameron. He said if the British prime minister looks at these arguments there is every reason there should be an investigation. He also signed their petition for a public inquiry.

Fair enough but then put this in the context of when Mr Robinson as DUP leader met the families of the Ballymurphy Massacre in February 2011. He was sympathetic and seemed shocked when he was told there was no proper investigation. The families then asked would he speak to the then secrtary of state Owen Paterson. He said he would and would raise other issues for the families. To this day the Ballymurphy families are still waiting. Mr Robinson also said that to lose a loved one is a painful experience. The way in which we deal with the past requires sensitivity. Then he said the DUP’s of the view that a further raft of open-ended inquires is not beneficial. 

No calls for a dossier of documents for the British PM.

No calls here for pinpointing who was responsible.

No calls for looking at the arguments.

No signing of the petition for an inquiry.

This is a first minister who says he wants a shared society. Alas it seems not for the victims of state violence.

With many thanks to : Pat Quinn

Ballymurphy Massacre Committee Belfast.

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‘UNION MEMBERS DEEPLY UNHAPPY’ AT PRICE MOTION

‘This type of motion can only cause division and is the last thing Nipsa needs – Ross Hussey.

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A MOTION calling for the release of prominent republican Marian Price due to come before the Nipsa conference has been criticised by the UUP. West Tyrone MLA and policing board member Ross Hussey said he had been contacted by Nipsa members who were “deeply unhappy” at the motion.

Mr Hussey described it as a “deeply regrettable situation” which could “cause decision”. “I have been contacted by a number of Nipsa members who are deeply unhappy at Motion No 13 in the conference handbook which states ‘Conference demands the immediate release of Marian Price’. “The motion goes on to call for the Nipsa general council ‘to campaign for the immediate release of Marian Price on humanitarian grounds’. “This is deeply regrettable situation. Nipsa is a highly respected trade union which draws its members from right across the province and from all sections of our society. “This type of motion can only cause division and is the last thing which Nipsa needs.” Then secretary of state Owen Paterson revoked her life sentence licence at Easter 2011 after Price was charged over a dissident republican rally in Derry. She is also facing seperate charges of providing a mobile phone for a terrorist purpose in March 2009 shortly before two soldiers were shot dead at Massereene barracks. The 58-year-old has been receiving treatment for depression, arthritis and lung problems, while kept in hospital under armed guard.

With many thanks to : Maeve Connolly, Irish News.

This letter also appeared in the Irish News today Friday May 17 2013.

Two years incarceration and still no justice for Marian.

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THIS week marks the entry into the third year Marian Price is interned without trial and is incarcerated on the word of a British Secretary of State. Where is the justice in this maltreatment of a defenceless woman whose health has deterioted to a level thatt she is almost unable to function as a person? Her incarceration in solitary confinement is responsible for this deterioration – firstly in Maghaberry, then Hydebank and now in hospital. Health professionals have revealed home care packages to treat Marian in a humane way and to date the British government has refused to grant her that humanity.

The long, drawn.out process in recent times still has not revealed an outcome. Fifteen years on from signing of the British agreement the treatment of Marian Price and others exposes that the injustice suffered at the hands of the British establishment hasn’t gone away. The analysis of the Irish people throughout our history that there is no British justice in Ireland is epitomised again with this deliberate maltreatment. Marian Price should be released immediately on humanitarian grounds due tonton the state of her health but she should also be released as a right because the spurious charges against her are not proven and innocent until proven guilty has gone out the door. Marian Price is serving a sentence of inhumane treatment for the past two years and yet is not sentenced to a single day in jail. Where is the justice ?

With many thanks to : Francis Mackey, Omagh, Co Tyrone.

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REPUBLICAN REFUSED APPEAL CHALLENGING ‘CLOSED MATERIAL’ !

” We are surprised and disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court but nevertheless bound by its ruling ” – Peter Murphy.

LURGAN Republican Martin Corey has been refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the refusal to allow his defence team access to ‘closed intelligence’ used to keep him behind bars for the past three years.

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English: Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of...
English: Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 63-year-old has been held in Maghaberry Prison since 2010 after his life licence was revoked by the then Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, on the basis of “closed material”. His defence team, led by solicitor Peter Murphy, have argued that they are prevented from defending against allegations that he is a danger to public safety because three successive secretaries of state have refused to disclose “confidential intelligence”. The lawyer says they will consider taking a human rights case to the European court at Strasbourg. Corey, who served a life sentence for the joint-enterprise murder of two members of the RUC in 1973, was released from prison on licence in 1992. In April 2010, when he was working as a grave digger, he was arrested and his licence was revoked. In 2011 he was refused parole.

During a High Court appeal in July 2012 Mr Justice Treacy found that the Parole Commissioners had acted in breach of the Lurgan man’s human Rights and that insufficient detail about the allegations had been provided to him. The judge ruled that Corey should be released on bail immediately but this decision was overturned within hours by then secretaty of state, Owen Paterson. Yesterday Mr Murphy said : “We harbour the greatest concerns about the authenticity and strength of these allegations that have seen Mr Corey, deprived of his liberty for over three years. “In short, we see this as internment 2013 and if there is any real confidence on the part of the secretary of state [Theresa Villiers] that only one of these allegations is true, then we would challenge those responsible for having Mr Corey incarcersted to initiate a proper investigation and if needs be charge Mr Corey. “We are surprised and disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court but are nevertheless bound by it’s ruling. “We will now however be seeking to have our client’s basic human rights and specifically the right to challenge the ongoing deprivation of his liberty, vindicated by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg”. Jim Mcllmurry, who acts as a spokesman for Corey, said : “Martin has come to expect little, and often less, when it comes to the justice system in the North of Ireland. “Our attendence at the Supreme Court in London would have given us the opportunity to expose many aspects of this case which I feel would not be found acceptable in any English court. “He has served what amounts to a six-year sentence without ever being questioned, charged or sentenced.”

With many thanks to : Allison Morris, Irish News.

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REPUBLICAN KILLER JAILED BY ‘PEOPLE PLAYING GOD’ !

This article appeared in the Irish Daily Mirror today.

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The family of republican killer jailed without charge three years ago told yesterday how people ” playing God ” have ruined their lives. And Colette Mathews, whose brother Martin Corey is in Maghaberry after his licence was revoked by then Secretary of State Owen Paterson, dismissed suggestions the 62-year-old is “Some dissident mastermind”. She told the Mirror : ” We will never get back the last three years. ” Three years in which Martin’s brother died while he was in jail, but we will never give up hope that we will get him home again, we all love him so much.” Corey was sent back to prison on April 16, 2010 on what his solicitor was told was a national security matter based on so-called ” closed file information “. Gerry Adams raised Corey’s continued detention at the Sinn Fein‘s Ard Fheis saying he and Marian Price, also jailed after having her licence revoked, should be freed. Ms Matthews said the three years in jail have “taken their toll” on their family, especially after the death of Martin’s younger brother Peter. She added : ” Martin just loved Peter. I feel Peter’s death certainly wasn’t helped by the fact his brother could not be there for him.” Corey was serving life for the murder of two RUC officers in 1973 when he was released as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

With many thanks to : Maurice Fitzmaurice, Irish Daily Mirror.

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PUBLIC MEETING ON THE ONGOING INTERNMENT OF MARIAN PRICE !

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : Friend’s Event · By Ursula Ní Sheanáin
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An Irish American Activists said this morning…Remember Guiseppe Conlon. (RIP)

RELEASE THEM NOW !!!THEY knew he wasn’t political. They knew he was innocent. They knew he was sick. But they arrested him Falsified evidence. Convicted him And let him die in their prison. They haven’t changed.

As Irish-Americans our mantra now must be the words of Bernadette (Devlin) McAliskey: This Was Supposed To Be Over.

For those who may have missed her recent speech from which these words come, it’s here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L71P3rJFoG8

We must join with her when she says: Organize! Educate! Activate!

There are 40+ million US citizens who readily identify themselves as Irish-Americans. Time to get them up and at ’em. It’s an election year. We did it in 1968. We did it in 1972. We did it in 1980. .

And we must do it again because?

This Was Supposed To Be Over

Hydebank Prison turned away the UN doctors – refused them entrance into the prison no less access to examine Marian Price. 

The English Bastards would be much happier knowing they killed both Gerry McGeough and Marian Price in prison.

What other excuse do they have for this blatant disregard for human rights?

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : Helen McClafferty

Picket on Saturday 2nd June

FREE MARIAN PRICE

Picket on Saturday 2nd June.

JUSTICE FOR MARTIN COREY – MARIAN PRICE PROTEST MARCH

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : BELFAST PC BRIGADE.

 

POLITICAL STATUS FOR REPUBLICAN POW’s !

END HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS IN MAGHABERRY !

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : IRISH PC BRIGADE.

FREE MARIAN PRICE WHITELINE PICKET TONIGHT 5PM

FREE MARIAN PRICE
WHITELINE PICKET TONIGHT 5PM
FALLS RD/BOTTOM OF WHITEROCK RD
IF YOU CARE YOU’LL BE THERE!!!!

POSTED ON BEHALF OF :  Seán MacDiarmada Ard Eoin

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