Andersontown News, November 25, 2002 - http://www.irelandclick.com/
Community Hearing:
Six murdered say international jurists
A team of international legal experts probing the murders of six New Lodge
men whose 30th anniversary occurred on Sunday released their preliminary
findings at the weekend.
The panel of international jurists began hearing oral evidence on Friday.
Jim Sloan, Jim McCann, Tony Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and
Ambrose Hardy were gunned down during a 90 minute period on February 3/4
1973.
The British Army initially admitted they were responsible for the deaths of
the six men but later retracted that statement.
The inquiry panel is being chaired by the author of Bloody Sunday Don Mullan
and includes Guildford Four solicitor Gareth Peirce.
The New Lodge Six Committee has warmly welcomed the preliminary findings of
the panel, saying at last the innocence of the six men has been proven.
Paul O’Neill, chair of the committee said: “For 29 years the families have
suffered the lie that their loved ones were shot dead because they were
‘gunmen’. No more fitting tribute could be paid to the memory of the
deceased than on the eve of the 30th anniversary of their deaths that the
British army’s lies have been comprehensively and publicly exposed.
“At last and for the first time all six men have been vindicated and their
innocence has been proven.”
And he added: “The government must now provide the families with the
documentation that they have sought and to date been denied. Moreover, the
pressure is now on the government to provide the families at long last with
an independent and effective investigation which will comply with the
government’s obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human
Rights.”
Don Mullan, who read out the findings on behalf of the panel, said:
“The members of the jury wish to thank the Committee of the New Lodge Six -
Time for Truth Community Inquiry for their invitation to hear testimonies
and review available evidence to the tragic deaths of Jim Sloan, Jim McCann,
Tony Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy.
“There is no doubt in the jury’s mind that there has been a clear breach of
Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which guarantees the
Right to Life.
“Even at this late stage, we call upon all relevant agents of the UK
Government to assist us by releasing to this community inquiry,
documentation relating to these events.”
Journalist: Staff Reporter
