In May An Phoblacht published a feature article on the case of Native American Leonard Peltier who was imprisoned following a shoot-out between Native American activists and FBI officers in Oglala on the Pine Ridge reservation. The conflict between the American Indian Movement and the FBI and United States Government resulted in the loss of life for two agents and a Native American activist in 1975. The subsequent arrest, conviction and incarceration of Leonard Peltier in what many have pointed out was a miscarriage of justice, led to a long campaign for his release. There have long been allegations of political intervention, and manipulation. Peltier remains a political prisoner and now approaches the beginning of a fourth decade in jail. Many see his continued incarceration as a crime against indigenous peoples. This week, DAVE BAILEY, represntative of the Leonard Peltier Defence Committee (LPDC) in Ireland describes how the campaign for Peltier's release is being stepped up here. Free article

The families of victims of a 12-year murder campaign that saw 29 people killed and no one convicted of the murders have condemned the PSNI's inability or unwillingness to secure convictions. There is a widespread belief amongst the families that the lack of convictions has to do with the complicity of state agents in the killings. Free article

Sinn Féin Wexford Councillor John Dwyer was elected Chair of New Ross Town Council by five votes to four on Wednesday, 21 June. Directly contradicting recent Labour allegations of a Sinn Féin/Fianna Fáil pact in relation to Mayoral elections he was proposed by Councillor Bobby Dunphy, Labour, and seconded by Councillor Ingrid O'Brien also of Labour. The two Fine Gael councillors also supported him and he defeated Fianna Fáil's Sean Connick by one vote. Accepting the position Dwyer said that by and large there was a very good working relationship on the council although the Fianna Fáil bloc had been consistently hostile to the chair irrespective of political persuasion. Free article

Michael McDowell's new Criminal Justice Bill has been attacked by Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD. Criticising the bill in a wide number of areas including children's rights, Garda accountability and civil liberties in general the Dublin South Central TD re-iterated Sinn Féin opposition and explained why he had tabled no fewer than 179 amendments. Free article

The family of a 14-year-old-girl assaulted by a 30-strong loyalist mob in the Waterside area of Derry on Saturday, 24 June have vowed to leave the Clooney house which was home to four generations of the Hegarty family. Free article

The distance between 26-County voters and the exercise of power in the state has never been greater. A perfect example in the past week was the sight of rows within the parliamentary parties of both the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil. Free article

Nuair a thug muintir Oirthear na hEorpa droim láimhe don chóras cumannach i ndiaidh thitim Mhúr Bheirlín sa bhliain 19(5{háinig an córas nua caipitleach aniar aduaidh orthu agus nár reitigh sé leis an aisling a bhí acu faoi roimh ré. Cá raibh an teach mór leis an Mercedes lasmuigh? Is éard a bhí i ndán dóibh, ó Bheirlín go Vladivostok, ó Mhoscó na Rúise go Skopje na Macadóine ná díthionsclú, dífhostaíocht, bochtanas agus dúshaothrú, i measc uafás fadhbanna eile. Free article

A vibrant atmosphere was in the air on Saturday, 17 June as a new branch of Ógra Shinn Féin was launched in Castlederg, County Tyrone. Barry McColgan, Six County organiser of Ógra Shinn Féin opened the meeting and gave a brief outline of the important role of republican youth throughout the struggle for freedom. Free article

Corrib pipeline to be election issue, Evening Herald lies, Derry Volunteers remembered, Mary Lou welcomes rendition discussion, Bone/Oldpark Commemoration, Lisburn boycott urged, Harney should resign after daming report and Loyalist attacks in Slaughtneil Free article

The week in quotes. Free article