Unionists angry at moves to release IRA prisoners early

Unionist politicians and Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT) have deplored the British government's decision to grant early release to IRA, UVF and UDA prisoners. Mr John Taylor, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, said the decision threatened the Belfast Agreement.

FAIT and unionist politicians claimed the IRA, UVF and UDA had breached their ceasefires and, in particular, queried how IRA prisoners could be eligible for early release after the RUC had said it believed the organisation murdered Andrew Kearney more than a week ago in Belfast.

Mr Taylor accused the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, of "giving in to the demands of Gerry Adams every day". He said Sinn Fein could not now be part of the Belfast Agreement. "What we want is the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement which we negotiated and supported. Now we find that IRA/Sinn Fein are not complying with its requirements. They are not saying the war is over, they are not co-operating with the commission for decommissioning, and they are involved in violence on the streets.

"Therefore, they are out of line with the Belfast Agreement, and the Belfast Agreement cannot proceed if they remain part of it," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), political wing of the INLA, which is excluded from the list of groups entitled to early release, described the decision as hypocritical. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), also excluded from the list, insisted it was observing a ceasefire.

Also ineligible for early release because the Northern Secretary has ruled they are not observing a "complete and unequivocal ceasefire" are the Continuity IRA (CIRA) and the "Real" IRA.

The Sentence Review Commission, to be formally established this week, will operate releases. About 400 IRA, UVF and UDA prisoners, many serving life sentences for murder, are expected to be let go under the scheme, which begins in September.

The INLA, with 30 members in Northern prisons, and the LVF, which has 22 prisoners, will not benefit. The CIRA and the "Real" IRA have no members in Northern prisons.

The IRSP said the decision was "hypocritical given the level of violence being used by some groups included in the scheme". Said the party's prisons spokesman, Mr Willie Gallagher: "It seems that both the British and Irish governments are prepared to ignore armed campaigns carried out by these groups under the cloak of the peace process."

The LVF said in a statement it was "ironic" the British and Irish governments had "lumped it with the INLA, CIRA and `Real' IRA". Mr Kenny McClinton, LVF contact for the independent decommissioning body, said he was "enraged" and accused Dr Mowlam of double standards.

The Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, described the programme as a "Provo release scheme".

"Those unionists who advocated support in the referendum for the Belfast Agreement are to blame for the release of evil terrorists. No synthetic protestations from them now will move the finger of accusation from pointing directly at them," he said.

FAIT development officer Mr Glyn Roberts said: "Is the British government really accepting a definition of a paramilitary ceasefire which allows paramilitary groups to beat, shoot, and intimidate people? What sort of ceasefire is that? We do not believe that these organisations can in any way qualify for this scheme.

"No one could possibly claim that the paramilitaries have ended violence. We continue to support the agreement, but we are saddened that the British government has dangerously compromised it by turning a blind eye to paramilitary violence."

Mr Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Fein Assembly member and former IRA prisoner, said prisoner releases must not be linked to any other issue. He insisted Sinn Fein would take its positions "in the Assembly, in the executive and on the all-Ireland Ministerial Council and the implementation bodies".

"Sinn Fein will not allow anyone to undermine the strong electoral mandate which we received in the recent election by attempting to rewrite the agreement. We also reiterate our firm intentions to take up all the positions to which we are entitled by virtue of that mandate," Mr Kelly said.

The Alliance Party president, Dr Philip McGarry, welcomed the legislation but said there must be reassurances. "The victims are entitled to expect that if prisoners are released early there will be consolation for themselves in the knowledge that all paramilitary violence will cease," he added.