Collusion campaign groups slam British OTR amnesty
Three groups working with the victims of alleged collusion have called on the British government to reconsider its plan to allow paramilitary fugitives to return to the North without fear of imprisonment.
The move had been demanded by Sinn Féin to resolve an anomaly surrounding fugitives who have been on the run since before the Good Friday Agreement.
However, the British government has decided that the legislation paving the way for the amnesty should also apply to police officers and soldiers accused of colluding with loyalist organisations.
Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Justice for the Forgotten have now come out in opposition to the move, saying it shows no consideration for the rights of families who lost loved ones.
Relatives for Justice and the Pat Finucane Centre both represent the victims of alleged collusion between the British security forces and loyalist paramilitaries.
Justice for the Forgotten, meanwhile, represents the families of people killed and injured in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which were allegedly carried out by loyalists with the support of the British army.
The British-Irish Rights Watch organisation had already criticised the proposed fugitive amnesty, saying it would be used to cover up incidents of official collusion.
