Northern Ireland row over release of republican prisoner

Unionists compare decision to free IRA bomber Brendan Lillis on compassionate grounds to Scotland releasing Lockerbie bomber A row has erupted within Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government over the release of gravely ill republican prisoner Brendan Lillis, with unionists comparing the case to Scotland freeing the Lockerbie bomber. Democratic Unionist assemblyman Edwin Poots said today that freeing Lillis could mark an “al-Megrahi moment” for the justice minister, David Ford, who made the decision to release Lillis early. Poots was referring to last year’s controversial decision by the Scottish government to free the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing on the grounds that the Libyan agent was dying, even though al-Megrahi is still alive two years later. Ford rejected the comparison and pointed out that Lillis, a convicted IRA bomber, could, unlike Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, be re-arrested at any time. Lillis is still only out on licence, the Alliance minister said. Earlier this year it was decided that Lillis was too ill to stand trial because he has a debilitating form of arthritis that affects his spine. In July the Northern Ireland Prison Service said there were insufficient compassionate grounds to justify Lillis’s release. The case was passed for consideration by the Parole Commissioners. They also ruled he should not be released. This stance changed last week when the Prison Service confirmed a doctor had recommended Lillis be moved to the City Hospital. He was then transferred, but remained under police guard until his release from custody on Thursday evening. Unionists have so far been critical of the decision to release him but Sinn Féin and the SDLP have said it was a victory for “common sense”. Lillis’s release follows a determined campaign by his partner Roisin Lynch and supporters to have him freed from the top security Maghaberry prison. Speaking this morning about his release, Lynch said Lillis would have died in jail unless he was freed on humanitarian grounds. She said it brought to an end an “horrific” two years. “Being able to walk into that room tonight and see my partner without having guards sit there, being able to visit without people watching me, to kiss him without being watched on camera, I feel vindicated, absolutely vindicated,” she said. She added: “I have told the truth all along about Brendan’s medical condition and the paperwork backs up what I have said. “You have to show compassion on some level. I would be just as compassionate if it was someone from the other side of the fence that was in the same situation. Bringing him back into jail, lying in a bed, the only place he can go is down.” Northern Ireland IRA Sinn Féin Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 19, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.