NIHRC supports Rosemary Nelson inquiry campaign

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has called for an independent public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Rosemary Nelson.

The Commission said it was calling for an independent inquiry into Mrs Nelson’s murder because it believed it was the process most likely to arrive at the truth.

Rosemary Nelson, a mother of three, died in a booby-trap car bomb attack near her home in Lurgan, County Armagh in March 1999. The Loyalist Volunteer Force was linked to her murder, but denied this.

Last week retired Canadian judge Peter Cory was appointed by the government to examine Mrs Nelson’s murder and five other controversial murder cases in Northern Ireland involving allegations of collusion.

Speaking on behalf of the Commission, the Chief Commissioner, Professor Brice Dickson, said: “Having studied the recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, and having met on several occasions with Colin Port, the police officer leading the investigation into Mrs Nelson’s murder, the Commission is now of the view that a full-scale public inquiry should be initiated so that all aspects of the murder can be thoroughly and effectively investigated.

“The Commission is particularly motivated by the facts that Mrs Nelson was an officer of the court whose life had been threatened by members of the security forces, that she was not granted protection under the Key Persons Protection Scheme despite a request to that effect and that the investigations to date have not been able to unearth what happened on the day of the killing.”

The NIHRC has in the past called for a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane because of the evidence of collusion in that case.

Two weeks ago it called for a public inquiry into the murder of Billy Wright in 1997.

(AMcE)