Sinn Féin demands immediate release of Pádraic Wilson

[Saoirse go Deo]

Sinn Féin Assembly member Gerry Kelly has today demanded the immediate release of Padraic Wilson, who was this morning remanded in custody on a charge of IRA membership and organising meetings.

Mr Kelly said: “This charge is bizarre. It is my firm view that these charges are politically motivated and driven by an old agenda within the PSNI fighting against policing change. Those behind this agenda need to be removed from policing before they inflict further damage on the peace process. This is not about bringing the killers of Robert McCartney to justice. It is in fact the opposite. That was made very clear to the court today.

“This is a very serious situation and these charges need to be dropped and Padraic Wilson needs to be released immediately. If the PSNI is intent on following this agenda then they may as well arrest every journalist and politician who has met the IRA, the loyalists or any other organisation in the course of the last 40 years.

“Sinn Féin will continue to support Padraic and his family until this political charade is brought to an end.” ENDS

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47E5SyFhlS4"]Politically Motivated Charges - YouTube[/ame]


Strong words. Hopefully he gets released, we'll see how much sway SF have now when it comes to prisoners and the like.

[Sam Lord]

Strong words. Hopefully he gets released, we'll see how much sway SF have now when it comes to prisoners and the like.

Pretty lame actually. First of all he makes an entirely false analogy stating that if similar charges were brought against others the prisons would be full of journalists, politicians, etc. who were prepared to meet with the IRA. But Wilson is not charged with meeting members of the IRA he is charged with being a member of the IRA (according to McCartney's sisters he presented himself to them as a member of the Army Council) and addressing a meeting to encourage support for the IRA.

Then he bangs the drum about the "peace process" being damaged but that currency no longer has any value. You are not part of a "peace process" Gerry for the simple reason that you no longer have the capacity to wage a war. You will need to find another card to play and I'm not sure where it will come from.

Wilson is not the only person in Sinn Fein who will be similarly charged in the near future. I'm not sure what it is about. It is possibly the Brits sending out a general reminder to Adams and Co. that they have them firmly by the balls but that hardly seems necessary as they have not put a foot out of line. It's a mystery ...

The time for SF to take a stand was when the likes of McGeough were being charged with membership etc. relating to stuff over 25 years previously. But they let that slide. Now they are demanding that Wilson be released immediately and saying that the charges are politically motivated. No kidding Gerry .... but were the charges against McGeough not?

Will Wilson's licence be withdrawn?

[People Korps]

Who deleted my post on this thread? and why
?

[Sam Lord]

Who deleted my post on this thread? and why
?

There has been no post deleted on this thread as far as I can see.

[Trow]

Nasty work from the Mc Cartney sisters.Giving up someone acting on behalf of the Army Council as part of an internal investigation achieves nothing in their search for justice for their Brother.

It's only in September past that one of them [the sisters] recognised Mr. Wilson, enquired who he was and then ran squealing to the PSNI. Pathetic.

[Saoirse go Deo]

Abertzale Left demands the immediate release of Sinn Fein member Padraic Wilson, who remands in custody on a charge of IRA membership and organizing meetings.
These charges against a senior Sinn Fein member, absolutely committed to the Irish peace process and involved also promoting peace scenarios in other places of the world like Basque Country on his Sinn Fein membership capacity are, clearly politically motivated and driven by an old agenda within the old regime state apparatus, especially in the new PSNI. Those behind this agenda need to be removed from their positions before they inflict further damage on the peace process.
This is not about an investigation on the Robert McCartney case but absolutely the opposite Abertzale Left demands these charges to be dropped and Padraic Wilson to be released immediately.
Abertzale Left stress its support to Padraic Wilson and his family as well as to the Sinn Fein.
Solidarity Forever!!

http://www.basquepeaceprocess.info/?...ce=twitterfeed


I wonder if he submitted to the strip search.

[Saoirse go Deo]

Sinn Féin are mobilizing for a protest in Belfast tomorrow.

Will be interesting to see what numbers the get. While this is very welcome I still think they should have done the same for other prisoners like Gerry McGeough and Marian Price.

[C. Flower]

Who deleted my post on this thread? and why
?

Perhaps posted on the Maghaberry thread where it remains ? Nothing was deleted from this thread.

[Kev Bar]

Nasty work from the Mc Cartney sisters.Giving up someone acting on behalf of the Army Council as part of an internal investigation achieves nothing in their search for justice for their Brother.

It's only in September past that one of them [the sisters] recognised Mr. Wilson, enquired who he was and then ran squealing to the PSNI. Pathetic.

It is possible that they might have a somewhat jaundiced view of acceptable codes of conduct.

[Dojo]

Pretty lame actually. First of all he makes an entirely false analogy stating that if similar charges were brought against others the prisons would be full of journalists, politicians, etc. who were prepared to meet with the IRA. But Wilson is not charged with meeting members of the IRA he is charged with being a member of the IRA (according to McCartney's sisters he presented himself to them as a member of the Army Council) and addressing a meeting to encourage support for the IRA.

Then he bangs the drum about the "peace process" being damaged but that currency no longer has any value. You are not part of a "peace process" Gerry for the simple reason that you no longer have the capacity to wage a war. You will need to find another card to play and I'm not sure where it will come from.

Wilson is not the only person in Sinn Fein who will be similarly charged in the near future. I'm not sure what it is about. It is possibly the Brits sending out a general reminder to Adams and Co. that they have them firmly by the balls but that hardly seems necessary as they have not put a foot out of line. It's a mystery ...

The time for SF to take a stand was when the likes of McGeough were being charged with membership etc. relating to stuff over 25 years previously. But they let that slide. Now they are demanding that Wilson be released immediately and saying that the charges are politically motivated. No kidding Gerry .... but were the charges against McGeough not?

Will Wilson's licence be withdrawn?

A good post. The Brits are now making it clear who the boss is. No longer does SF have an automatic audience with the PM at Downing St, it's the British government, along with their unionist lieutenants that are giving the orders. SF is fukked either way. It can't pull out of Stormont or it'll be seen as wrecking the sham "peace process". If it chooses to stay put it'll be seen as continuing to give legitimacy to a partitionist parliament where the unionists hold the real power.

A precedent is being set here. If Sinn Fein allows Wilson to remain incarcerated it has effectively given up on ex prisoners and condemns many rank and file SFer's to internment.

[Dojo]

http://www.basquepeaceprocess.info/?...ce=twitterfeed


I wonder if he submitted to the strip search.

Why do you think the Brits will give a shyte about what Basque separatists think?

[Saoirse go Deo]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSNYOoECVMo"]Opposing Political Policing - YouTube[/ame]

[Saoirse go Deo]

He got bail apparently.

[Trow]

He got bail apparently.

True.

Don't think we'll see Sinn Fein say too much more about the politically motivated cops in the PSNI ranks though.

[Saoirse go Deo]

I'm seriously contemplating leaving Sinn Féin over this.

They can rustle up a 600+ crowd at a moments notice yet Dessie Ellis is the only rep who bothers to turn up for the Marian Price march.

Wilson gets bail for a serious charge like membership - if he was not a shinner there is not a hope in hell he would have gotten bail.

Supposedly SF are "doing everything" they can to get people like Marian Price and other internees released - this has been exposed as nonsense by this. They did everything they could for Wilson alright.

It's only political policing if a Shinner is arrested, if someone were arrested for the exact same thing and they weren't a shinner I'm sure nothing would have been said. Lip service would be paid of course, like is happening with Marian Price. I had to laugh, I think it was Adams who sent a letter to American politicians right in the middle of the election count calling for Marian Price to be released, as if they care at a time like that, fantastic job lads.