Gerry Kelly and Bertie Ahern to address Basque peace conference at French National Assembly

SINN FÉIN MLA Gerry Kelly and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will be among the key speakers in the National Assembly in Paris on Thursday at the 'Humanitarian Conference for Peace in the Basque Country'.

Gerry Kelly, who was a long-sentence prisoner in English prisons and a H-Blocks escapee, will speak in the conference section headed The role of prisoners and 'On the Runs' (OTRs) in the resolution of the conflict. Also speaking in this section will be Basque ex-prisoner Gabi Mouesca.

The conference will be headed by Louis Joinet, independent expert in the UN Human Rights Committee; Marc Gentilini, Honorary President of the French Red Cross; lawyer Pierre Joxe; and Raymond Kendall, former General Secretary of Interpol.

The conference is sponsored by Bake Bidea, Lokarri, International Contact Group, Ligue de Droits de l'Homme, Berhof Foundation and Conciliation Resources.

The conference is supported by nine Members of the French Parliament.