Irish Republican News · July 27, 2012

Martin Corey case set for European courts

The European Court is to be asked to challenge a decision to overturn a ruling that internee Martin Corey should be released from prison.

Two weeks ago, a High Court judge ruled that Mr Corey’s detention was a breach of the Human Rights Act and ordered his release on unconditional bail.

His ruling overturned a decision by the Parole Commission to continue his imprisonment on the basis of British claims that it had ‘secret’ evidence against him.

While the judgement caught observers by surprise, the British Direct Ruler Owen Paterson moved quickly to block his release from jail, before British government lawyers secured a stay on the release order, and subsequently won a reversal of the original judgement. A full appeal is to be heard in September.

Mr Corey, a former IRA Volunteer who is now sixty-one years of age, was released from prison in 1992 but was interned without trial in 2010. The then British Direct Ruler Shaun Woodward sent him to jail on the basis of what he called “closed material”.

On Wednesday, Republican Sinn Fein launched a campaign to highlight the case.

Party president Des Dalton said Corey’s legal team was now considering an appeal to the European Court.

“In terms of taking a challenge to this to Europe, first of all they are going to have to take a challenge to the British Supreme Court, the law lords, because they have to, basically, exhaust the so-called domestic legal machinery before that can be done,” he said.

“But my understanding is that that will be the next stage in the process.”

A number of international events are being organised to highlight the plight of both Martin Corey and Marian Price. For more check the following webpages freemarian.co.nr or www.freemartincorey.com.

Speaking this week, Cait Trainor of the Release Martin Corey Committee said: “This isn’t a republican issue, it’s a human rights issue.”

Sinn Fein is backing the campaign to free Mr Corey but Ms Trainor said support would be sought across the political spectrum: “People don’t have to agree with Martin Corey’s politics to see what is happening to him is wrong.”

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