Press Statement from Amnesty International,
British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of
Justice, Human Rights Watch and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
"In
the Finucane Case, Nothing Short of a Full, Public, International,
Impartial and Independent Judicial Inquiry Will Do".
Tomorrow, Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner,
will deliver his long-awaited report on his third investigation into
matters of collusion in Northern Ireland, known as "Stevens 3",
to the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
In view of this, Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch,
the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Human Rights Watch
and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights renew their call on the
UK authorities to establish forthwith a full, public, international,
independent and impartial judicial inquiry into all the circumstances
surrounding the 1989 killing of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane.
According to credible media claims, the "Stevens 3" team
had originally prepared a 45-page summary of the full report for
publication. The full report, which runs to 3,000 pages, will not
be made public.
However, it appears now that only a 15-page summary of the full
report is to be published tomorrow. The apparent explanation for
this two-thirds reduction in length is the need to prevent prejudicial
material capable of undermining future potential prosecutions from
being made public. Given that Sir John Stevens, one of the UK's
most experienced police officers, would presumably have signed off
on the original 45-page summary, this explanation beggars belief.
The human rights organizations are concerned that the original summary
of the full report may have been drastically cut so as to shield
some of its contents from public scrutiny.
This concern underscores yet again the need for the kind of scrutiny
that only a public judicial inquiry can bring to the allegations
of collusion by state agents with Loyalist paramilitaries in Patrick
Finucane's killing. These allegations include claims that the killing
of Patrick Finucane was the result of state policy. The evidence
of collusion and subsequent cover-ups in the case implicates at
least three intelligence agencies: the Special Branch of the former
Royal Ulster Constabulary, whose members have been assimilated into
the current Police Service of Northern Ireland; the British Army's
secret intelligence unit known as the Force Research Unit; and MI5,
the UK's secret service.
The recent death of Brian Nelson, the British Army agent who had
directly assisted Loyalist paramilitaries in the targeting of Patrick
Finucane for assassination, further underlines the need for the
immediate establishment of a public inquiry. Continuing to delay
such an inquiry may well result in other key testimonies eventually
avoiding public scrutiny.
The five international and domestic human rights non-governmental
organizations believe that only a public, international, independent
and impartial judicial inquiry adequately resourced and with full
powers to subpoena witnesses and compel the disclosure of documents
can reveal the full truth surrounding the killing of Patrick Finucane.
It will be essential to consider all the circumstances surrounding
the killing of Patrick Finucane, including evidence of other killings
resulting from the same policies and practices which led to his
death.
For further information contact:
Amnesty
Livio Zilli, Researcher, + 44 207 278 2282
British Irish Rights Watch
Jane Winter, Director 44 208 7729161 or 07767 830500
CAJ
Paul Mageean, Legal Officer 44 28 90961122 or 07703 564467
Human Rights Watch
Julia Hall, Counsel 001 716 885 1995
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
Fiona Doherty, Senior Associate 001-212-845-5260
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