Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister has accused Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain of taking a blatantly political decision when he freed IRA bomber Seán Kelly last month.
Dr Ian Paisley with Jim Allister when he won his Euro seat
The north Belfast republican was jailed for carrying out the 1993 Shankill Road fish shop bomb, which killed nine civilians.
He and accomplice Thomas Begley were originally freed in 2000 under the Belfast Agreement.
However, in June his early release licence was revoked by Mr Hain and he was returned to jail allegedly because of involvement in unspecified terrorist activity.
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Unionists were outraged when Mr Kelly was recently released from Maghaberry Prison, Co Antrim, on the eve of an IRA statement declaring an end to its armed campaign.