News Service: 094/99
AI INDEX: EUR 45/27/99
EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001 HRS GMT FRIDAY 14 MAY 1999
Northern Ireland:
Amnesty International delegation says human rights protection should be
universal
An Amnesty International delegation examining the human rights situatio
n in
Northern Ireland this week said it had urged political leaders, police
representatives and government officials to make human rights protectio
n a
universal rather than a sectarian issue.
"The Multi-Party Agreement puts human rights at the heart of a jus
t and
lasting peace," the delegation said, "but real action is needed to fulf
il its
promise."
The delegation also said it had been shocked and moved by evi
dence
that an enormous number of past and present abuses remain unresolved an
d are not
being adequately addressed.
The four Amnesty International delegates, who visited Northern Ire
land from
7 to 14 May, spent three days talking to those involved in the stand-of
f in
Portadown.
"Portadown is a microcosm of the larger conflict and reflects virt
ually all
the human rights issues at its heart," said Dr William Schulz, Executiv
e
Director of Amnesty International in the USA, and head of the delegatio
n.
However, the delegation could identify signs of hope resulting fro
m the
human rights commitments contained in last year?s peace agreement, incl
uding a
newly-created Human Rights Commission which has started work to draft a
Bill of
Rights and promote human rights for all people in Northern Ireland.
The delegation also welcomed the major reviews now under way into
Northern
Ireland?s police and criminal justice system, as well as an inquiry int
o the
1972 "Bloody Sunday" massacre.
"The decision this week by Northern Ireland?s Law Society to call
for
independent investigations into the murders of solicitors Pat Finucane
and
Rosemary Nelson marked a historic step forward in the impartial defence
of human
rights in Northern Ireland," Dr Schulz said.
"It is hard not to see the scandalous attack on Pat Finucane this
week by
former Chief Constable John Hermon as an attempt to dissuade the Law So
ciety
from taking this decision."
The Amnesty International delegates also said suspects interrogate
d under
emergency laws were now better protected as a result of all interviews
being
audio and video taped, although the best protection would be for their
lawyers
to be present as elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
"We heard testimony from people from different parts of the commun
ity which
described unlawful arrests, alleged unprovoked beatings, sectarian and
racist
abuse by police officers and serious injuries caused by plastic bullets
," the
delegation said.
"We heard testimony from the families of people who had been victi
ms of
punishment beatings and shootings by paramilitary groups. We also talke
d to a
number of community restorative justice programmes which are working to
circumvent this cycle of abuse."
The delegation will be reporting its findings to the UK government
,
government and police authorities in Northern Ireland and the governmen
t of the
Republic of Ireland.
"We want all the parties to the Multi-Party Agreement to implement
in full
the human rights aspect of the agreement," Dr Schulz said. "There is no
need to
wait for our report. Those responsible for these abuses know that they
are
taking place, they know that we condemn them unreservedly and know that
they owe
it to the people of Northern Ireland to halt them immediately."
The delegation?s recommendations to the governments will include c
alls for:
" the repeal of emergency measures which contravene international hu
man
rights standards;
" an overhaul of police and security force practices to eliminate hu
man
rights abuses;
" the protection of lawyers and others from threats and intimidation
;
" an independent inquiry into the murder of human rights lawyer Pat
Finucane;
" a genuinely independent inquiry into the murder of human rights la
wyer
Rosemary Nelson;
" an independent investigation into the death of Robert Hamill;
" a process open to all members of the community to acknowledge the
legacy of
abuses throughout the conflict and provide mechanisms for investigation
, justice
and redress in individual cases;
" full cooperation with and significant resources for the Northern I
reland
Human Rights Commission.
The delegation said that Amnesty International will continue to ca
ll on all
paramilitary organizations to end abuses such as arbitrary detentions,
torture
and murder.
ENDS.../
***********************************************************************
*******
Note to editors: There will be an Amnesty International news conference
at 9.45
Friday 14 May 1999 at the Europa Hotel, Belfast. To arrange interviews,
please
contact Richard Reoch on 0498 555 594.
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