BIRMINGHAM SIX MAN SLAMS NEW TERROR LAW
Birmingham Six man slams new terror law
Two governments urged to think again
By Seamus McKinney
JOHNNY WALKER, one of the Birmingham Six, has urged the Irish and British governments to "think again" before implementing new legislation In the aftermath of the Omagh bombing.
The Derry man served more than 16 years in prison after being falsely accused with live other people of involvement in the 1974 bombing of two Birmingham pubs in which 19 people died.
Mr Walker, who now lives in Co Donegal, was released from prison with his co-accused after a long campaign to prove their innocence.
The tough new laws to be introduced on both sides of the border would allow a conviction on the word of a senior police officer that a suspect was a member of an illegal organisation. It will allow adverse inferences to be drawn if a suspect remains silent during interview.
And last night Downing Street confirmed that the measures would allow the confiscation of property belonging to convicted members of proscribed organisations.
The state would have to prove that the property was used in terrorist activities.
Speaking last night, he warned that should new legislation be enacted permitting convictions on the word of senior police officers, innocent people could suffer.
Stressing that he was horrified at the Omagh bombing and condemned it outright, Mr Walker warned that a panic reaction by the Irish and British governments could have tragic results.
"A policeman could take the hump at you and you end up in prison. The same thing happened to us in Britain. They believed the police and believed we were liars and it took us 16 and a half years to prove them wrong," he said.
Mr Walker said that even if a conviction depended on the word of a number of police officers, the proposed new laws would still be wrong.
Recalling the testimony of his co-accused, Paddy Hill, the Derry man said Mr Hill told the original trial that a policeman said he did not care if the Birmingham Six were responsible or not because they were "paddies".
"If this law was brought in at a different time, we could look at it but this is just a panic reaction. While I condemn Omagh, this is not the way," he said.
Denouncing the idea of "British justice", Mr Walker said that in the aftermath of the Birmingham bombings, the police "suddenly appeared to be the good guys".
He expressed concern that a similar situation was evolving in the aftermath of the Omagh atrocity.
"No matter who they pick up for Omagh, they will be considered guilty. What if they the police do not get the real guilty people? Innocent people will rot in prison for 10 or 15 years," he said.
He also warned that the new legislation maybe a means of "sweetening" certain politicians to maintain the peace process. "We do not know what is going on behind the scenes. They will do everything to keep the peace process going but it would he wrong if any Tom, Dick or Harry could be picked up for something they did not do.
"You have to be careful when talking about British justice but who will suffer at the end of the day.
"If they did it, I could not care less what is done to them but innocent people may suffer through this new law," Mr Walker said.
The new legislation, to be debated this week, has also been criticised by Sinn Fein northern chairman Gerry O hEara.
Describing the security measures as "contradictory to the spirit and intent of the Good Friday agreement," Mr O hEara said the laws would undermine a "fair and impartial system of justice" as outlined in the agreement.
"The potential for abuse of this legislation -particularly in the hands of the RUC whose own existence is very much under scrutiny -and the negative impact it will hold for many people who endorsed the Good Friday package should have served as a restraint for those politicians who have unquestioningly accepted the erroneous need for such repressive measures," he said.
The Irish and British governments have also be urged to drop the legislation by the IRSP, the political wing of the INLA who announced a ceasefire last week.
Ard Comhairle member, Paul Little said the measures being proposed had failed in the past.
Two governments urged to think again
By Seamus McKinney
JOHNNY WALKER, one of the Birmingham Six, has urged the Irish and British governments to "think again" before implementing new legislation In the aftermath of the Omagh bombing.
The Derry man served more than 16 years in prison after being falsely accused with live other people of involvement in the 1974 bombing of two Birmingham pubs in which 19 people died.
Mr Walker, who now lives in Co Donegal, was released from prison with his co-accused after a long campaign to prove their innocence.
The tough new laws to be introduced on both sides of the border would allow a conviction on the word of a senior police officer that a suspect was a member of an illegal organisation. It will allow adverse inferences to be drawn if a suspect remains silent during interview.
And last night Downing Street confirmed that the measures would allow the confiscation of property belonging to convicted members of proscribed organisations.
The state would have to prove that the property was used in terrorist activities.
Speaking last night, he warned that should new legislation be enacted permitting convictions on the word of senior police officers, innocent people could suffer.
Stressing that he was horrified at the Omagh bombing and condemned it outright, Mr Walker warned that a panic reaction by the Irish and British governments could have tragic results.
"A policeman could take the hump at you and you end up in prison. The same thing happened to us in Britain. They believed the police and believed we were liars and it took us 16 and a half years to prove them wrong," he said.
Mr Walker said that even if a conviction depended on the word of a number of police officers, the proposed new laws would still be wrong.
Recalling the testimony of his co-accused, Paddy Hill, the Derry man said Mr Hill told the original trial that a policeman said he did not care if the Birmingham Six were responsible or not because they were "paddies".
"If this law was brought in at a different time, we could look at it but this is just a panic reaction. While I condemn Omagh, this is not the way," he said.
Denouncing the idea of "British justice", Mr Walker said that in the aftermath of the Birmingham bombings, the police "suddenly appeared to be the good guys".
He expressed concern that a similar situation was evolving in the aftermath of the Omagh atrocity.
"No matter who they pick up for Omagh, they will be considered guilty. What if they the police do not get the real guilty people? Innocent people will rot in prison for 10 or 15 years," he said.
He also warned that the new legislation maybe a means of "sweetening" certain politicians to maintain the peace process. "We do not know what is going on behind the scenes. They will do everything to keep the peace process going but it would he wrong if any Tom, Dick or Harry could be picked up for something they did not do.
"You have to be careful when talking about British justice but who will suffer at the end of the day.
"If they did it, I could not care less what is done to them but innocent people may suffer through this new law," Mr Walker said.
The new legislation, to be debated this week, has also been criticised by Sinn Fein northern chairman Gerry O hEara.
Describing the security measures as "contradictory to the spirit and intent of the Good Friday agreement," Mr O hEara said the laws would undermine a "fair and impartial system of justice" as outlined in the agreement.
"The potential for abuse of this legislation -particularly in the hands of the RUC whose own existence is very much under scrutiny -and the negative impact it will hold for many people who endorsed the Good Friday package should have served as a restraint for those politicians who have unquestioningly accepted the erroneous need for such repressive measures," he said.
The Irish and British governments have also be urged to drop the legislation by the IRSP, the political wing of the INLA who announced a ceasefire last week.
Ard Comhairle member, Paul Little said the measures being proposed had failed in the past.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0340
Published Date: 01-Sep-98
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