A chara, - The circumstances which led to the murder of the human rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson must be investigated by an independent and international inquiry. If the British government (or indeed the Irish Government) believes that an RUC investigation "supervised" by Chief Constable Phillips of Kent is a satisfactory response it has made a grave error of judgement.
Last year the Independent Commission for Police Complaints felt it necessary to replace (with officers from the London Metropolitan police force), an RUC team then investigating Ms Nelson's documented instances of death threat and intimidation against her by officers of the RUC. Rosemary Nelson had also documented those threats on her life to the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the International Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives and to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of Judges and Lawyers. The UN Special Rapporteur found that the RUC had a case to answer in relation to those threats. Both the British government and the RUC Chief Constable chose to ignore those findings. It is therefore morally unacceptable that the British government or the RUC have any role in investigating Rosemary Nelson's murder other than to offer all possible assistance to an independent and international inquiry.
Rosemary Nelson's death is not only a profound loss to her family and friends and to the nationalist community of Portadown, it is a deliberate act of hatred aimed at a brave woman fearless in her determination to seek justice and uphold human rights for all in this country. Human rights activists and nationalists throughout Ireland are of no mind to acquiesce to an RUC-choreographed investigation. An independent and international inquiry must be set-up. Now. - Is mise,
Sile Carson, PRO, Irish National Congress, Dublin 7.