Today The Pensive Quill features a letter by guest writer Martin Galvin. It appeared in the Irish News 9/05/2012 and raises the isue of Gerry McGeough's imprisonment.
A chara
G McGee claims in his (21 APRIL) polemic against Gerry McGeough that “anyone can be convicted for actions prior to 1998.” Perhaps he could explain to the families and friends of victims of Bloody Sunday, the Ballymurphy Massacre, Nora McCabe, Majella O’Hare and a long list more, when “anyone” in the British Army or RUC will be convicted for any of these “unjustified and unjustifiable killings”. Perhaps he could explain to Sam Marshall’s family among others why anyone alleging collusion by crown forces seems to be stonewalled.
Perhaps Republicans should unite in anger against what increasingly appears to be an undeclared policy of selective immunity for line of duty killings by British Army or RUC constabulary, instead of dividing over apparent selective prosecutions of Republicans.
Many years ago Republicans rethought a position of not recognizing British courts and empowered solicitors such as Pat Finucane for one, to fight for justice with every legal weapon that British courts permitted. Gerry McGeough tried to force the British to count the years he served in German and American prisons on IRA charges to meet the early release threshold. His solicitors cited more than a dozen prominent Republicans released in this fashion. Why should any of these prominent Republicans lose standing, as McGee claims, because the British name such credit a “Prerogative of Mercy?
Finally and sadly, McGee asks what Sinn Fein could do, beyond making muted representations which are apparently disregarded or dismissed out of hand by the British. Once the party would have flooded the streets in protest against injustice and called upon the SDLP to withdraw from offices which bound them in complicity to the policies of the British administration. Now it would seem that those British officials who directed imprisonment for Gerry McGeough, Marian Price and Martin Corey, or the naked brutality of Maghaberry strip-searches have little to fear.
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I read this in the Irish News, I tend to skip over some letters but I will always read what Martin Galvin writes.
ReplyDeleteSeems a life time ago since Sinn Fein were hiding Martin in safe houses in West Belfast.
I'm sure he like the rest of us wonders, where the hell it all went wrong.
The psni have admitted that they have retained body parts,qsf,s Gerry I,vegoneawayyeknow and Martyboy have asked for their balls back.
ReplyDeleteFrom Helen McClafferty:
ReplyDeleteGerry and Maria McGeough would like to thank all those who made last night’s benefit in New York a success and to thank those who gave so generously of their time and support. The benefit was attended by a large cross-section of Irish-American organizations, especially members of the County Tyrone Society of NY, members of the AOH from Brooklyn, Long Island, Albany and Rochester NY, as well as Celtic General Contractors and individuals who traveled from as far as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to lend their support.
Please remember that normally Gerry would have been entitled to Green Cross and Prisoner funds if he was arrested in 1981 for the alleged charges they brought against him in 2007. Today he receives nothing, and as an independent republican prisoner who does not belong to any organization or political party, he also receives nothing. So, these fundraising efforts are greatly appreciated by the McGeough family.
Maria ask that you continue your support for her husband’s early release and the implementation of the Weston Park Accord, paragraph 20, and Gerry asks that you continue to keep him and his family in your prayers.
Again, thank you to all those who made this event a success and to all those who could not attend, but mailed in donations.
Helen McClafferty
Chairperson – USA
Free Gerry McGeough Campaign