HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERN OVER MCKEVITT CONVICTION
Human rights concern over McKevitt conviction
By Valerie Robinson
HUMAN rights group has questioned the conviction of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt in a non-jury court on the evidence of a paid informers.
British Irish Rights Watch director Jane Winter said she was not surprised by the conviction or by McKevitt's decision to appeal.
However, relatives of the Omagh bomb victims defended the Republic's justice system.
McKevitt began a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday after being convicted of directing terrorism and Real IRA membership in the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
"We're not surprised that there was a conviction because there has been so much publicity about Michael McKevitt over the years that he was really a condemned man before he ever stepped into the court," Ms Winter said.
"We're not surprised that he is appealing because there are a number of aspects of this trial which are of concern."
Ms Winter said she was concerned that much of the evidence in the 26-day trial depended on "paid informant" David Rupert, an American who had infiltrated the Real IRA for the FBI and British security service.
The campaigner said her group had "always" had concerns about the non-jury Special Criminal Court and Northern Ireland's Diplock courts.
"No matter how terrible the crime somebody may have committed, there's no reason why a jury can't come to a sensible conclusion about whether they are guilty or not," she told RTE radio.
"And to mix up the role of the judge with that of the jury is not really a helpful way to proceed," she added.
Ms Winter also criticised the legislation, introduced in the wake of the 1998 Omagh bomb, which allows the state to charge an individual with directing terrorism.
She claimed that anti-terror legislation had been used in the McKevitt case because the Garda could not produce enough evidence to convict him in connection with the Omagh bomb.
But Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was killed in the blast, defended the legislation and the Special Criminal Court.
"The entire world knows after September 11, and we in Ireland knew all along, that governments need to make extra special provisions to deal with extra special situations such as terrorism," he told the Irish News.
"Governments need to arm themselves with whatever legislation needed to combat terrorism."
Former justice minister John O'Donoghue, who introduced the amendment to the Offences Against the State Act targeting paramilitary bosses, also defended the role of the court.
Mr O'Donoghue, now minister of arts, sport and tourism, said he was "quite satisfied" that the three judges involved in the McKevitt case would not have been influenced by media coverage in the aftermath of Omagh or the run-up to the trial.
By Valerie Robinson
HUMAN rights group has questioned the conviction of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt in a non-jury court on the evidence of a paid informers.
British Irish Rights Watch director Jane Winter said she was not surprised by the conviction or by McKevitt's decision to appeal.
However, relatives of the Omagh bomb victims defended the Republic's justice system.
McKevitt began a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday after being convicted of directing terrorism and Real IRA membership in the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
"We're not surprised that there was a conviction because there has been so much publicity about Michael McKevitt over the years that he was really a condemned man before he ever stepped into the court," Ms Winter said.
"We're not surprised that he is appealing because there are a number of aspects of this trial which are of concern."
Ms Winter said she was concerned that much of the evidence in the 26-day trial depended on "paid informant" David Rupert, an American who had infiltrated the Real IRA for the FBI and British security service.
The campaigner said her group had "always" had concerns about the non-jury Special Criminal Court and Northern Ireland's Diplock courts.
"No matter how terrible the crime somebody may have committed, there's no reason why a jury can't come to a sensible conclusion about whether they are guilty or not," she told RTE radio.
"And to mix up the role of the judge with that of the jury is not really a helpful way to proceed," she added.
Ms Winter also criticised the legislation, introduced in the wake of the 1998 Omagh bomb, which allows the state to charge an individual with directing terrorism.
She claimed that anti-terror legislation had been used in the McKevitt case because the Garda could not produce enough evidence to convict him in connection with the Omagh bomb.
But Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was killed in the blast, defended the legislation and the Special Criminal Court.
"The entire world knows after September 11, and we in Ireland knew all along, that governments need to make extra special provisions to deal with extra special situations such as terrorism," he told the Irish News.
"Governments need to arm themselves with whatever legislation needed to combat terrorism."
Former justice minister John O'Donoghue, who introduced the amendment to the Offences Against the State Act targeting paramilitary bosses, also defended the role of the court.
Mr O'Donoghue, now minister of arts, sport and tourism, said he was "quite satisfied" that the three judges involved in the McKevitt case would not have been influenced by media coverage in the aftermath of Omagh or the run-up to the trial.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0603
Published Date: 09-Aug-03
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