West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Doherty protests to Scottish Justice Minister over commemoration detentions.

Published: 26 February, 2010

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP MLA Pat Doherty has protested to the Scottish Justice Minister Kenny Mc Askil about the two hour detention of four people at Edinburgh Airport and the similar detention of two people at Cairnryan Ferry Port as they returned home from a weekend of commemorative events to mark the 25 Anniversary of the killing of three young IRA volunteers by the SAS in Strabane

Mr Doherty said,

"The six, who are members of the James Connolly Foundation and Cairde na h'Éireann in Scotland, had travelled over to Strabane on Friday last to take part in an extended programme of commemorative events in memory of three young local IRA volunteers Charlie Breslin, Michael Devine and David Devine who were killed by the SASon the 23rd February 1985. On Sunday they joined with thousands of others at the commemoration parade which was addressed by family members of Charlie, Michael and David as well as Martin Mc Guinness.

"The six have been regular visitors to Strabane. Having attended many commemorative events down through the years they have forged many close friendships within the local community. In common with many of the Irish community in Scotland, they have had to endure many vindictive delays and harassment when returning back from visits to Ireland.

"However, as they returned home on Monday the attention they received was particularly sinister. As four of the people disembarked from their plane at Edinburgh airport they were met by a party of 15 Special Branch Officers who led them away to be detained under "anti-terrorist legislation." For the next two hours, the four were questioned about the commemorative weekend and they were even questioned about who they were talking to at the Strabane Memorial Flute Band 25th Anniversary Dinner Dance they had attended on Friday 19th February. Similarly, a married couple who were returning from the Strabane events were also detained by a waiting party of Special Branch officers as they drove their car from the Larne-Cairnryan Ferry. They were questioned along the same lines and their car was pulled apart.

"Many people of Irish descent in Scotland hold Irish republican views but even now, and despite many years of the Peace Process, it is clear that certain elements of the state apparatus in Scotland still do not consider it legitimate to either hold a republican viewpoint or to be allowed to attend commemorations in Ireland without being subject to oppressive apparatus of the state.

"The Irish community in Scotland have always had to contend with the spectre of sectarianism and anti-Irish racism and although some progress has been made to combat this in recent years there is still a long way to go.

"Therefore, in my letter of protest to Scottish Justice Minister Kenny Mc Askil about these totally unwarranted detentions I have also challenged him to ensure that the institutions under his control, like the police, will no longer be used to systematically target, harass and detain people in the community just because they hold an Irish republican political viewpoint -a political viewpoint which is entirely legitimate.

"Given that these detentions were obviously pre-planned and co-ordinated in conjunction with the PSNI, I have also written to NIO Security Minister Paul Goggins to protest at this blatant example of political policing."