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Patrick
Finucane
On February 12, 1989, Patrick Finucane, a high-profile human rights
lawyer, was gunned down in front of his family at their home in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. During his career, Finucane had been
involved in many politically  sensitive
cases and had regularly represented people arrested under the emergency
or anti-terrorism laws.
The Ulster Freedom Fighters, a loyalist paramilitary organization,
claimed responsibility for Finucane's murder. Since his death,
however, there have been persistent reports that members of
the UK security forces not only colluded with the loyalist
paramilitaries who killed him, but actively targeted Finucane
for assassination.
Since the killing, Human Rights First has conducted a series
of missions to Northern Ireland to investigate these allegations.
The evidence we have amassed - from sources both confidential and
public - points heavily to the involvement of both the police and
the army in the murder of Patrick Finucane. We believe that only
a full, independent public inquiry can unearth the complete scope
of security force involvement in the murder.
Read Human Rights First report on the case
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Rosemary
Nelson
Rosemary Nelson, an internationally
acclaimed human rights activist and lawyer, was murdered on
March 15, 1999 in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. She died after
a booby-trapped bomb exploded underneath her car. Rosemary
Nelson was
in many ways a successor to Patrick Finucane, the Belfast
human rights lawyer murdered in 1989. Like Finucane, Nelson
was among the small group of lawyers in Northern Ireland who
were willing to take on politically sensitive cases against
the difficult backdrop of the "Troubles." Like Finucane, Nelson
represented people who had been arrested under the emergency
or anti-terrorism laws.
Before she was murdered, Rosemary Nelson repeatedly claimed that
officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary had harassed her, assaulted
her, and threatened her life. Human rights groups, including Human Rights First, documented this abuse and called on the UK government
to protect her, as did the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence
of Judges and Lawyers. However, this protection was not forthcoming.
In addition, the UK government has prevented a public inquiry into
allegations of security force collusion in the Nelson murder. Human Rights First is actively campaigning for a full, independent
public inquiry to be established in her case.
Update on the Rosemary
Nelson Inquiry (03/31/05)
Read more
about
Rosemary Nelson |
