NOVANEWS
For Immediate Use
Bloody Sunday – Set The Truth Free!
Bloody Sunday, 30th January 1972 was when British soldiers murdered fourteen peaceful demonstrators in Derry. The relatives are still waiting for justice.
Shaun Woodward, Britain’s Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is refusing to release the Saville Inquiry Report into Bloody Sunday simultaneously to the families of those murdered and to the wounded. Mr Woodward will receive the report on Monday 22nd March. He is saying that he will not release it to the relatives until it is checked for issues of civil liberties and national security.
Birmingham based Cahill McElhinney, brother of Kevin who was killed by soldiers on Bloody Sunday, said:
“We are seriously concerned about the timing of the report being released. It is so close to Parliament’s Easter recess and the possible announcement of the General Election. Should the report be given to the government on the 22 March, there is little chance of the families receiving it before the election. The report will be in the hands of the Northern Ireland Office for months with no political control from above. This is frightening for the families. We believe the report will be a victim of selective leakage and other partisan use long before the full report is made public. We call on Lord Saville to Set the Truth Free!”
Mary Pearson of the Troops Out Movement, which campaigns for British withdrawal from Ireland said:
“We have long supported the Bloody Sunday relatives in their demand for the truth.
Recent precedent in both the Shipman and Hutton Inquiries is that the tribunal chair takes full responsibility for the timing of the release of reports to interested parties and to the public.
We call on Lord Saville to follow established precedent and take responsibility for the release of the report to all interested parties at the same time. We call on Mr Woodward to agree that Lord Saville should take full responsibility for the publication of the report. The relatives have waited long enough for the truth without this fiasco rubbing salt into their wounds.”
The Bloody Sunday Relatives have called for an International Day of Action on Saturday 20th March. The Troops Out Movement has organised a vigil and will be petitioning on that day in Victoria Square, Birmingham City Centre 12-2pm
See – www.setthetruthfree.org
For further information and interviews contact Mary Pearson – details below
For further information and Interviews Troops Out
Movement . Campaigning for British Withdrawal from Ireland
PO Box 1032 Birmingham B12 8BZ Tel: 0121 773 8683 Mob: 0797 017 4167
troopsoutmovement@btinternet.com www.troopsoutmovement.com