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7
November 2006:
RESPONSE
TO INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL PANEL INTO ALLEGED COLLUSION IN SECTARIAN
KILLINGS IN NORTHERN IRELAND (AND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND)
Justice
for the Forgotten's response to Report of Independent International Panel
into alleged collusion in sectarian killings in Northern Ireland (and
Republic of Ireland):
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This is the first
time there has been an international and impartial examination from
a Human Rights Law perspective of the experiences and sufferings of
the berearved families and survivors of these 25 attacks, which resulted
in 76 murders.
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38, or exactly
half, of these murders occurred within the Republic of Ireland, involving
four attacks: the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; the Dundalk bombing;
the Castleblayney bombing and the murder of John Francis Greene.
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In 24 of the
25 cases the panel has found 'significant and credible evidence
of involvement of police and military agents of the United Kingdom,
both directly and in collusion with loyalist extremists.' They
'knew of and expressed approval of instances of this conduct, and
that senior officials in London had information sufficient to put
them on notice of the serious risk of such conduct.'
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The report is
highly critical of the response of the United Kingdom government in
terms of the discharge of its Article 2 obligations to conduct inquiries
into these murders and finds its response has been entirely inadequate.
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The report sets
out the minimum criteria for an inquiry into unlawful killings if
it is to meet the minimum requirements of the European Convention
on Human Rights. It is with regret that we have to point out, that
the Barron and MacEntee Inquiries do not meet these criteria.
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We await the publication
of Mr MacEntee's report with great interest. Justice for the Forgotten
has given full co-operation to the MacEntee Commission of Investigation
- it is part of our policy to support all inquiries that may lead
to the truth.
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We believe that
the only process which will satisfy the demands of the families is
a public and transparent inquiry and the report of this body fully
supports the position of Justice for the Forgotten in this regard.
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Justice for the
Forgotten will deliver a copy of the report to the Taoiseach today.
For further details
please contact:
Bernadette McNally,
Executive Committee Member: 087-79 98 283
Margaret Urwin, Secretary:
01-8554300 / 087-22 37 338
Greg O'Neill, Solicitor:
087-23 93 175
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