MEP speaks on McGuinness and human rights
22 September 2007
Statement by Jim Allister MEP:
“The hypocritical and galling irony of Martin McGuinness talking to the NI Human Rights Commission Conference about recognition and respect for human rights, will not be lost on the law-abiding community, particularly victims of his IRA.
For a self-confessed IRA commander to talk about the “protection, promotion and advancement of human rights” is nauseating. The most basic and fundamental human right is the right to life. McGuinness and his murderous colleagues in the republican movement showed scant regard for this over their thirty year campaign of terror.
With hundreds of unsolved IRA and other terrorist murders, the families of victims are entitled to seek and obtain justice. Yet, given his antecedents, including his boast to the Republic’s Special Criminal Court that he was a member of the IRA and “very, very proud of it”, has McGuinness told the police all he knows about such crimes? Until he does he is not a fit candidate to address anyone on human rights.
There are many innocent victims of violence who are outraged at the fact that McGuiness, as joint First Minister, has responsibility of victims’ issues. Truth and justice has been turned on its head in the perverse new world established by the Paisley/McGuiness axis.”
