Unionist politicians have condemned a US court's decision to overturn an order to extradite three Maze escapers back to Northern Ireland.
A federal appeal court in California last week ruled in favour of Kevin Barry Artt, Pol Brennan and Terry Kirby and said the North's legal system was open to prejudice, Suzanne Breen reports.
The appeal judges described the convictions by judges sitting without juries as "the opaque procedures employed by the Northern Ireland justice system". The Ulster Unionist security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, said: "It is unhelpful when an American court calls into question the integrity of a justice system which has served people here well over 30 difficult years." Mr Ian Paisley jnr claimed the US court was in breach of the spirit of the Belfast Agreement by not following through on extradition proceedings.
The six-year legal battle to extradite the men will continue, although their lawyers are calling on the British government to drop its case. A US judge will now review the Maze escapers' trials. They are claiming they will be punished for their political views if returned to Northern Ireland.