Press Release 23/04/2004
Responding to the contents of the IMC Report Mark Thompson said:
“RFJ
have noted that the full cooperation of the PSNI and the British
intelligence community in providing the documentation that in essence
is the IMC report. This full cooperation comes at a time when numerous
families from across the community affected by state killings, and in a
number of killings involving suspected state agents, seek information
from these same agencies in order to hold inquests and determine the
facts surrounding these killings. The response to these requests has
thus far been nil and people will clearly see the double standards
purely for political capital especially on the back of the failure to
publish fully the Cory Report and implement its recommendations, and
the Stevens Report of 2002.’
‘In addition Commander John Grieve, as head of the ‘Anti Terrorist
Unit’ was involved in overseeing a shoot-to-kill operation that led to
the killing of an unarmed man in London, Diarmuid O’Neill, about which
many unanswered questions remain. Ironically restrictions by Mr.
Grieve’s unit pertaining to documentation prevented the family from
examining fully the circumstances surrounding Diarmuid’s killing during
the inquest.’
On the one hand the British government want to prevent public
disclosure of actions pertaining to their own forces, even when
coroners and the High Court have ruled that material be provided. And
on the other they are willing accomplices in providing copious
“information” about other actors to the conflict.
“It is on the basis of the evidence of double standards at work that
families currently refused information about the killings of their
loved ones will be seeking legal advice and the potential of grounds
for judicial review.”
ENDS
