The Northern Secretary, Dr Mowlam, has challenged a decision by the Sentence Review Commission to give loyalist Johnny Adair a preliminary indication as to when he will be included in the early prisoner release scheme. It is the first time Dr Mowlam has made such a challenge.
Adair is serving 16 years for directing terrorism, and was expected to be released on licence next October under the scheme. Yesterday, he was told the Secretary of State had intervened in his case and had challenged the Sentence Review Board's decision to give him an indication that he is to be included in the scheme.
The Ulster Democratic Party has threatened to withdraw its support for the Belfast Agreement if Adair is not released under the scheme. UDP prisons spokesman Mr John White criticised Dr Mowlam for what he described as a "politically motivated" and "vindictive" intervention. He said his party may now "reassess" its support for the Belfast Agreement in light of Dr Mowlam's challenge to the review board. In a statement, Mr White rejected claims reported in newspapers recently that Adair opposed the peace process, saying he was "a leading exponent" and "keen supporter". He accused Dr Mowlam of being more "interested in placating republicans" at the expense of loyalists. "One of the things in the Good Friday Agreement that was very important to us was the issue of prisoner release, and within the prisoner release programme that we negotiated, in some detail, we pointed out very clearly that there could be no victimisation of individuals," he said. He said the UDP was concerned that some prisoners, including Adair, would be "picked out for selective treatment" and sought assurances from Dr Mowlam during the negotiations that this would not happen. Mr White claimed that Dr Mowlam reassured the party. "These assurances would now seem to be worthless," added Mr White. He said the UDP could not understand why Adair has been "singled out" by Dr Mowlam.
An NIO prisons spokesman said it was not the first time that a prisoner's case has been challenged by a Secretary of State. He confirmed that Dr Mowlam had "issued a challenge, as is her right" to the Sentence Review Board. "The case will be heard before the Sentence Review Board shortly, and therefore, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment." Adair will be given an opportunity to put his case to the Sentence Review Board early next week.
Meanwhile, an IRA prisoner who escaped from Belfast Crumlin Road prison in 1981 was one of four republicans released yesterday from the Maze prison, Co Antrim, under terms of the early release scheme. Mr Joe Doherty (43), fought a nine-year legal campaign from America to prevent his extradition to Northern Ireland after escaping from prison, one week after being sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in the murder of SAS Capt Herbert Westmacott (28). Capt Westmacott was shot dead by the IRA in a house on the Antrim Road, Belfast, in May 1980.
Mr Doherty, originally from the New Lodge area of Belfast, was one of eight men who escaped from the Crumlin Road prison in June 1981. Using false documents he fled to the US, but was arrested by immigration officers. After a lengthy extradition battle by the British authorities Mr Doherty was extradited to the North in February 1992. The then Secretary of State, Sir Patrick Mayhew, refused to recognise the nine years that Mr Doherty had been held in custody in the US. His life sentence for murder began after his extradition.