Action Alert for Roisin McAliskey

The following action request from the Irish Freedom Committee is in response to the British attempts to once again extradite Roisin McAliskey.

The move to extradite Roisin McAliskey to Germany has been postponed to grant time for her lawyers to prepare an “abuse of process” application. A new hearing is set for Thursday, June 27. We consider this news an opportunity for our continued pressure to have a greater impact.

Return calls from the British Consulate to Irish Freedom Committee Members reveal that the British government is PASSING THE BUCK onto Germany, and is telling callers that Britain has no say in Roisin’s impending extradition. Roisin’s lawyers think differently!

In their statements today, Roisin’s lawyers say that their arguments will show that her case has been “politically motivated” at the highest level of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), and therefore that the British government is culpable in the decision to extradite her. Furthermore Roisin is in a British courtroom, is classed as a British citizen, and will have to be handed, by Britain, to Germany if the warrant is approved. This is, indeed, an issue that concerns the British government and thereby its foreign representatives the British consulates, so do not let them tell you it is a “German issue”. Yes, we will pressure the German government in time but at present this is in British government hands.

Please take the time to make a call TODAY to make a call to the British Consulate in your area. There is a complete list of that contact information here:

https://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/ACTION_ALERTS/british_consulate_addresses_.htm

Please note in the information below from the Coalition of Irish Republican Women that there are key-pad numbers you must press for each consulate that will get you direct to the proper recording area. Note that it is not necessary to leave your name and callback number but it will lend more credibility if you do.

Please watch for an upcoming PETITION and other news on we what we can all do to save this young mother of two from being faced with a grossly unfair “trial” based on evidence that is over a decade old. Remember that a primary witness in her case, eleven years ago, could not even identify her from her photograph when presented with it on live German television. Remember also that the bid to extradite her eleven years ago was refused by Britain, when the Crown Prosecution Service in England ruled that she had NO CASE TO ANSWER.

More reference material including TALKING POINTS and SAMPLE LETTER are below.

Thank you

The Irish Freedom Committee

https://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

Points to raise in your correspondence:

. Roisin McAliskey has always maintained her innocence, and substantial evidence supports her claim, including an alibi and a principal prosecution witness’s inability to identify her a few months after the attack.

. Britain has already determined that there is insufficient evidence to try Roisin McAliskey for the Osnabruck attack.

. Almost 11 years have elapsed since the Osnabruck attack, and the passage of time makes it a great deal more difficult to obtain a fair trial and defend against the charges, as witnesses are more difficult to locate and may have died or become incapacitated or too infirm to testify, witnesses’ memories naturally will have dimmed or been artificially shaped by intervening publicity, and physical evidence may have deteriorated or be unavailable for testing by the defense.

Sample text :

Honorable Consul General, <or ambassador>

I am writing to oppose the extradition of Roisin McAliskey to Germany and to ask that you inform your government of this communication.

Ms. McAliskey has always denied involvement in the Osnabruck attack and substantial evidence supports her innocence. She was in Ireland at the time of the attack. Within a few months of the attack, one of the chief prosecution witnesses, when interviewed on German television, was unable to identify Ms. McAliskey as a participant. Consistent with this state of evidence, the British government previously determined there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Ms. McAliskey in Britain. It rejected a request by Germany to take over the prosecution.

In addition, the passage of nearly 11 years since the attack has made it unlikely Ms. McAliskey can obtain a fair trial and defend herself against the charges. Witnesses will have become difficult to locate, and some may have died or become incapacitated. Even available witnesses’ memories will have dimmed substantially or been artificially shaped by intervening publicity about the case. Physical evidence may have deteriorated or be unavailable for testing by the defense.

I ask that you relay my letter to your government.

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME/ADDRESS)

Urgent Appeal