|
|
FEBRUARY 2003
PATRICK FINUCANE
12TH February
saw the fourteenth anniversary of the brutal murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick
Finucane. The occasion was marked
by a memorial mass at Clonard Monastery, conducted by Monsignor Raymond Murray,
which I attended. Also on that day
the Finucane family met Judge Peter Cory to hear about progress into his
investigation into the murder. On the following day they travelled to Dublin to meet the
Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who reiterated the support of the Irish government for
a public inquiry. I accompanied
them to both meetings.
terence McDaid
On 12th
February this year the family of Terence McDaid met Judge Peter Cory.
BIRW arranged the meeting. Terence McDaid,
who had no paramilitary connections, was not the intended victim of the gunmen
who shot him down in his own home in May 1988; they had intended to murder his
brother. Force Research Unit agent
Brian Nelson warned his handlers on several occasions that the UDA was targeting
two of Terence McDaid’s brothers, Aidan and Declan, but the information FRU
passed on to the RUC was insufficient to prevent the murder.
It would also appear that FRU gave Nelson Terence McDaid’s address to
pass on to the UDA. The Ministry of
Defence and the Northern Ireland Office shared the cost of compensation to
Terence McDaid’s widow, Maura, who sadly died a few weeks ago.
The MoD was paying on behalf of FRU.
The NIO was paying on behalf of the RUC, whose role is unclear.
The McDaid family wanted to draw the case to the attention of Judge Cory,
in the hopes that, if he recommends a public inquiry into Patrick Finucane’s
death, he will bear in mind that many others died as a result of the policies
and practices of FRU and Special Branch.
BILLY WRIGHT
I also attended a
meeting between Judge Cory and David Wright, the father of murdered LVF leader
Billy Wright, who was murdered by INLA in the Maze prison in 1997.
The judge was just about to start work on Billy Wright’s case, and had
already made two visits to the prison to review the scene of the crime.
COLIN WORTON
Colin Worton served in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR)
for eight years. In 1983 he was
arrested for the murder of a Catholic, Adrian Carroll, and he signed a
confession. However, the confession
was coerced from him by officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), and the
case against him was dismissed. Four
of his fellow soldiers were originally convicted of the murder, although three
of them were later acquitted on appeal and the fourth has had his case referred
back to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
The case became known as that of the UDR Four.
Even though Colin Worton’s army record was unblemished, his contract
was not renewed. Although under English law a defendant is innocent until
proved guilty, Colin Worton has lived for twenty years under the shadow of
suspicion. He has had no
opportunity to clear his name. He
spent two and a half years on remand in prison for a crime he did not commit.
BIRW is assisting him in his bid to obtain true justice.
DAVID
McILWAINE
Our pamphlet on the
tragic murder of student David McIlwaine is now available on our website.
This month marks the third anniversary of his death.
We share his family’s concern about the lack of progress in the police
investigation.
DUBLIN AND
MONAGHAN BOMBINGS
Papers released
into the London Public Record Office under the thirty year rule have shed
further light on events leading up to these 1974 bombings. We have supplied copies to the victims of the bombings and to
Judge Henry Barron, who is conducting an independent commission of inquiry into
the bombings.
LESS LETHAL
FORCE
Considerable time
has been spent this month on drawing up a detailed response to the latest report
by the steering group set up in response to a recommendation by the Patten
Commission on the reform of policing to find an acceptable and less lethal
alternative to plastic bullets. We
are concerned that the steering group is placing too much emphasis on the
technological aspects of alternative weapons, and too little on the human rights
implications of some of the weapons under development.
RESEARCH,
RESEARCH
This month some of
my time has been spent responding to requests for help in other people’s
research – something we are often asked to do.
This month we helped on research into terrorism and emergency laws, the
role played by human rights groups in conflict resolution, and research carried
out on behalf of one of our funders into how they are viewed by those they fund.
WELCOME TO
RUSSELL
Russell Miller began work for us on 2nd February
as our independent observer at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
His weekly reports are available on our website.
Jane Winter,
Director,
28th February 2003.
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
