Monday, July 9, 2012

Irish Republican News ; Outrage as Martin Corey's Release Blocked





Outrage as Martin Corey's release is blocked
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Irish Republican News repnews-reply@irlnet.com
1:07 AM (10 hours ago)
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>>>>>> Flash: Outrage as Martin Corey's release is blocked


A veteran republican today won his court challenge against hus
internment -- but his release was dramatically blocked by the British
government.

Martin Corey, a 61-year-old man from County Armagh, was ordered to be
freed on unconditional bail after he surprisingly won a legal challenge
against his internment this afternoon.

But in a dramatic day for the North of Ireland's irregular judicial
system, the British Direct Ruler Owen Paterson intervened to order his
continued detention.

The Lurgan man was sentenced to life in 1973 and was released in 1992.
But his release licence was revoked in 2010 over 'secret' allegations
which were never revealed. In one of the most high-profile internments
of the post-peace process era, the former British Direct Ruler Shaun
Woodward then ordered Mr Corey's imprisonment on the basis of "closed
material".

The court hearing today centred on the legality of the secrecy
surrounding the basis upon which the veteran political dissident was
sent back to jail.

In August last year the Parole Commissioners decided that the revocation
of Mr Corey's licence should remain in force. They considered what was
described as 'open' material, as well as 'confidential' material, of
which neither Corey nor his legal representatives had sight.

Mr Corey received an unexpected endorsement this afternoon from an
infamously anti-republican judge, Justice Treacy, who ruled this
afternoon that parole commissioners had breached his human rights in
refusing to release him.

He held there had been a breach of the European Convention on Human
Rights which states that anyone deprived of their liberty can have the
lawfulness of detention decided by a court.

The judge found that the so-called 'open' evidence did not advance the
British Direct Ruler's case against Corey, meaning that his decision was
solely based on the 'confidential' material.

Justice Treacy also ruled that the Parole Commissioners misdirected
themselves in law and failed to provide a sufficient safeguard against
the secretive claims of the British government.

After the court ruling, his supporters expressed elation, but also
concern at the slowness of the authorities at Maghaberry prison to act
on the court order.

There fears were not helped by the mainstream media, all of whom
reported in turn that Mr Corey had in fact been released to his family
and friends.

It was hours later that it was confirmed that the British government had
blocked his release.  No grounds for that action have yet been
expressed. There is to be a further court hearing tomorrow [Tuesday].

We will update this story as further information becomes available.

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