Boston College Statement

Statement to supporters from Boston College researchers Ed Moloney & Anthony McIntyre.

Contrary to widespread media reports, this Tuesday’s court hearing in Boston will not decide the outcome of our fight to prevent AG Eric Holder from handing over IRA interviews to the PSNI in Belfast.

The important hearing in this case will instead take place some time in March before the US Court of Appeals when our lawyers will argue that Eric Holder failed to take into account the damage these subpoenas will cause to the Irish peace process before issuing them against Boston College.

Our lawyers will also argue that Holder should take into account the US-UK extradition treaty which forbids the extradition of any person for an offense allegedly committed before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

This appeal will be unaffected by Tuesday’s hearing on the stay against handing over the interviews which we secured in December. Assuming the judge rules against us, we will automatically appeal and the case will be subsumed into the more important March appeal.

This means that the fight against the subpoenas will continue no matter what happens on Tuesday and we urge all our supporters in the United States to contact their  members of Congress to protest Eric Holder’s action against Boston College and to urge him to withdraw the subpoenas.

Final legal papers for that appeal have to be lodged by February 27th, which means that we have one month in which to persuade Eric Holder to drop this disastrous, one-sided action. Please contact your local member of Congress to protest this outrageous action.