Three weeks of sustained TV, radio and print media exposure of the Garda Heavy Gang has focused on the need for an independent public inquiry.
SALLINS CASE MAN JOINS GUANTANAMO SOLICITOR HOLLANDER
Sallins Case man Osgur Breatnach, joined high-Profile US lawyer Nancy Hollander, who represented whistle blower Chelsea Manning and Guantanmo bay prisoner Mohamedou Ould, to speak at an ICCL seminar on the abolition of the Special Criminal Court GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.
Speakers included Nancy Hollander, Fair Trials International trustee and Osgur Breatnach. Jodie Foster played the part of Nancy Hollander in the movie The Mauritarianian. The online event highlighted concerns with the Special Criminal Court, the lived experience of those who have been prosecuted in, and have insight into how other countries handle so-called ‘terrorist’ and ‘gangland’ offences. View event HERE.
ALL-VICTIM CALL FOR ENQUIRY
The Sallins Men have re-acted to RTE’s Crimes & Confessions series with a united call for a public inquiry, supporting the men and women whose torture was exposed in programmes, and their families.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF OSGUR BREATNACH, MICK BARRET,JOHN FITZPATRICK,NICKEY KELLY and BRIAN McNALLY on STATE POLICING and the SALLINS CASE.
‘We fully support families who have come forward over the years, and again lately, demanding independent public inquiries into their torture as a result of State policing policies, including the Garda Heavy Gang.
Following RTE’s shocking and disturbing Crimes and Confessions series we again draw attention to the outstanding requirement by the Irish Government to hold independent public inquiries into each substantial allegation of torture, whether requested or not.
The State requirement to hold statutory independent public inquiries follows the State’s signing of both the UN Convention Against Torture and the European Convention of Human Rights.
In the Sallins Case, we, along with our family members, reiterate the demand for an independent statutory public inquiry into our treatment by the State from 1976 to the present day.
Passage of time or payment of compensation is irrelevant to the duty under the conventions to hold enquiries.
State apologies for the results of an inquiry can only be made after an inquiry.
Each day that passes without the inquiry is renewed and real-time cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and is a further breach of our Convention rights.’
Crimes and Confessions |
Links to all the excellent programmes in the RTE series Crimes and Confessions series on state policing and the Garda Heavy Gang and related media articles and radio programmes. You can view the three Crimes and Confessions programmes Here; RTE TV 1/2/3 You can listen to an interview with Osgur Breatnach and his solicitor Kevin Winters in relation to the UN petition on RTE Drivetime Here; Drivetime Interview You can listen to a Radio Kerry interview with Solicitor Pat Mann who represented the Hayes Family Here: Radio Kerry Interview |
The following are a number of newspaper articles which have appeared following the revelations in the Crime and Confessions series.
Dermot Ferriter in the Irish Times :• Will an Garda Síochána tackle sordid aspects of its own history during centenary?
Patsy McGarry in the Irish Times: • Judiciary- not just gardai- face questions about miscarriages of justice cases.
Former Judge Pat McCartain in the Irish Times : • Garda needs to come clean about the ‘Heavy Gang.
Mick Clifford in the Irish Examiner: • In the Republic, democratic norms and rights abused to an appalling degree.
Elaine O’Loughlin in the Irish Examiner: • Special Criminal Court should be scrapped says leading lawyer.
Vickey Conway, Associate Professor of Law, Dublin City University, in the Irish Examiner : • Not too late for state to atone for past crimes.
Radio interview with Mick Peelo, maker of the Crimes and Confessions documentary, on Today with Claire Byrne, RTE : Crimes & Confessions – Kerry babies case
