16 April 1998 Edition
Back issue: Birmingham Six case rejected
THE last legal avenue left open to the Birmingham Six was closed on Thursday as the British House of Lords refused to even hear the six men's case.
The six, who were framed for the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974, have already spent thirteen years in jail, despite the wealth of evidence to support their claim to innocence.
The House of Lords' refusal comes as no surprise to relatives of the men and Paddy McIlkenny, the brother of one of the six, Richard McIlkenny, told the thousands of people on Saturday's anti-extradition march that it was to be expected. He said that their decision was in line with Lord Denning's thinking that it is better to keep six innocent people in jail rather than question the British judicial system.
The six men's solicitor, Gareth Pierce, says that they will never give up their fight for their release and to prove their innocence. She points out that if more evidence comes to light the British authorities will have no choice but to re-open the case.
The dismissal of the appeal by the House of Lords has been condemned by a wide range of organisations, many of whom criticised the Fianna Fáil government's intention to extradite Irish people into this corrupt legal system.
The six, who were framed for the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974, have already spent thirteen years in jail, despite the wealth of evidence to support their claim to innocence.
The House of Lords' refusal comes as no surprise to relatives of the men and Paddy McIlkenny, the brother of one of the six, Richard McIlkenny, told the thousands of people on Saturday's anti-extradition march that it was to be expected. He said that their decision was in line with Lord Denning's thinking that it is better to keep six innocent people in jail rather than question the British judicial system.
The six men's solicitor, Gareth Pierce, says that they will never give up their fight for their release and to prove their innocence. She points out that if more evidence comes to light the British authorities will have no choice but to re-open the case.
The dismissal of the appeal by the House of Lords has been condemned by a wide range of organisations, many of whom criticised the Fianna Fáil government's intention to extradite Irish people into this corrupt legal system.