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november
2000Despite having up-to-date virus protection installed, our
computers were hit this month by a virus that attacked our operating systems.
Although fortunately we did not lose any of our work, we lost two whole
weeks of working time getting the problem sorted out, so this report will be
rather short. Many thanks to our
consultants ITSUVO, and to Stephen Pittam at the Joseph Rowntree Charitable
Trust, for their prompt support during a very trying time.
Most people think they know who carried out the appalling bombing of Omagh in 1998, which resulted in the loss of 29 lives and hundreds of injuries. The reason they think they possess this knowledge can be found in television programmes like BBC’s Panorama and in extensive newspaper coverage pointing the finger at people like Bernadette and Michael McKevitt. We have sent a report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion concerning this coverage. The report details a campaign of media vilification against the couple and their family and discusses the effects of that campaign in terms of international human rights standards. The report also criticises the role that politicians have played in this campaign. British Irish rights watch does not condone violence, nor are we in a position to know the truth about the Omagh bombing. However, as a human rights group we support the principles that all persons are equal under the law, that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and that everyone deserves a fair trial. We also support the freedom of the press, but it must also be recognised that the media have considerable power and are therefore under a duty to act responsibly and not to abuse their power. Once the media set themselves up as judge and jury, and when politicians exhort and encourage them, then fundamental tenets of fairness that lie at the heart of democratic society go by the board.
We
have also sent a report to the United Nations Special Representative on human
rights defenders concerning attempts to intimidate defence lawyers and other
human rights defenders in Northern Ireland.
In our view, the government’s failure to implement the recommendations
made by the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers in
1998, especially his recommendation that there should be “an independent and
impartial investigation of all threats to legal counsel in Northern Ireland”,
has had serious consequences. Not
only has Rosemary Nelson been murdered, but another lawyer has also been attacked
this year and lawyers and others are now finding themselves named in loyalist
hit lists posted on the world wide web.
The government has failed to act resolutely and decisively to vindicate
the role of lawyers in Northern Ireland and to put to an end the potentially
lethal propensity of RUC officers and civil servants to identify lawyers with
their clients, in contravention of the United Nations Basic Principles on the
Role of Lawyers. Their failure
has also meant that loyalist attitudes towards lawyers has spilled over to affect
other groups, such as community activists and journalists.
I gave a paper on
the situation of human rights defenders in Northern Ireland at the Institute
of Commonwealth studies on 14th November.
On 23rd November, together with Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice, we met with Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hugh Orde of the Metropolitan Police to discuss the investigation, known as Stevens 3, into the allegations contained in our confidential report, Deadly Intelligence, delivered to the government in February 1999. Our report alleged that the Force Research Unit (FRU) had targeted UK and Irish citizens for murder and had colluded with paramilitaries, resulting not only in the death of Patrick Finucane, but many others. We readily accepted Hugh Orde’s assurance that his investigation is fully independent and thorough, but we still believe that it is no substitute for a public inquiry that can deal with the political ramifications of our serious allegations. In the meantime, further allegations about FRU’s deadly activities emerge in the media on a weekly basis.
It was the greatest possible pleasure to see Professor Kader
Asmal MP, who as well as being the Minister of Education in South Africa is
also one of our patrons, in London on 16th November.
Everyone who knows Kader will be pleased to hear that despite problems
with his health he is still changing the world and is apparently completely
unstoppable!
We have written to the government expressing concern about the situation in Maghaberry prison. The closure of the Maze and the release of so many political prisoners has overshadowed the fact that dissident paramilitaries of all factions are housed in Maghaberry, which is not segregated. We have been contacted by prisoners from all sides expressing fears for their safety. While not advocating the sort of regime that existed in the Maze, it is clear that something needs to be done urgently. We are concerned that the lessons that should have been drawn from the murders of Billy Wright and David Keys in the Maze have not been learned. We are still awaiting a response to our report on the murder of Billy Wright.
We are very pleased to welcome back John Gayer, who is volunteering with us while waiting to take up an internship with Amnesty International in New York.
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
