Seeking the transfer of Patrick Kelly, a seriously ill prisoner in Northern Ireland to a prison in the Republic of Ireland

 

Doc. 7551

9 May 1996

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

presented by Mr CONNOLLY and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.         Patrick Kelly was sentenced in London in 1992 to 25 years imprisonment for conspiracy to cause explosions.

2.         He was moved to Maghaberry Prison in Northern Ireland on 13 December 1995 following earlier imprisonment in Whitemoor Prison and is suffering from life threatening skin-cancer and his health situation has deteriorated.

3.         There is obviously a great deal of hardship and distress on his family caused by their constant visits to him.

4.         The Irish Government have stated that they have no objection to having Patrick Kelly transferred from Northern Ireland and they are willing to accept his transfer to the Irish jurisdiction.

5.         Calls have been made by political parties in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for Patrick Kelly's transfer to a prison in the Republic on humanitarian grounds.

6.         Therefore, the Assembly recommends that, having regard to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons which was designed to allow for the transfer of prisoners in cases such as this where there is clear justification on humanitarian grounds for the transfer, that the British Government immediately transfer Patrick Kelly to Portlaoise Prison.

7.         It urges those Council of Europe member states which have not yet done so to sign and/or ratify the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

Signed[1]:

Connolly, Ireland, LDR

Aguiar, Portugal, LDR

Arnason, Iceland, LDR

Brennan, Ireland, LDR

Deasy, Ireland, EPP

Fehr, Switzerland, LDR

Frey, Switzerland, LDR

Gricius, Lithuania, LDR

Haraldsson, Iceland, LDR

Loutfi, Bulgaria, LDR

Mihaylova, Bulgaria, LDR

Minkov, Bulgaria, LDR

Molloy, Ireland, LDR

Pantelejevs, Latvia, LDR

Pattison, Ireland, SOC

Rhinow, Switzerland, LDR

Roseta, Portugal, LDR

Seiler, Switzerland, LDR

Valkeniers, Belgium, LDR

Veidemann, Estonia, LDR

Wallace, Ireland, LDR

Walsh, Ireland, SOC

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[1]        SOC : Socialist Group

            EPP : Group of the European People's Party

            EDG : European Democratic Group

            LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

            UEL : Group of the Unified European Left