OTR deal revealed as John Downey is released

Donegal republican John Downey walked free today after a court in London said charges against him of taking part in an IRA campaign in 1982 amounted to “an abuse of process”. But the decision to release him has created confusion and anger in the north of Ireland over a previously secret scheme to tackle the issue of OTRs -- those ‘on the run’ from outstanding conflict-related prosecutions.

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