A campaign for an independent international investigation and a judicial inquiry into the murder of Ms Rosemary Nelson was launched in Belfast yesterday. Among those in attendance was the leading British human rights solicitor, Ms Gareth Peirce.
The Rosemary Nelson Campaign is supported by the murdered solicitor's family. Her husband Paul did not attend the launch because, the organisers said, he was still too upset by her death. However, he sent a message of support to the group.
"There is a huge desire from a wide range of people to see truth and justice in Rosemary's case. Towards this end I would ask that people support the campaign for a fully independent investigation and judicial inquiry into Rosemary's murder," he said.
Mr Nelson also said he had no faith in the investigation which was set up into his wife's death. The addition of 12 officers from outside the RUC had not given him any confidence, he added.
Forty RUC officers are involved in the investigation, which is led by the Norfolk Deputy Chief Constable, Mr Colin Port.
Ms Nelson was killed when a bomb exploded under her car last month. The Red Hand Defenders admitted responsibility but there have been widespread allegations of RUC collusion.
The UN Special Investigator, Mr Dato Param Curamaswamy, recently published a report saying there was evidence to support allegations by Ms Nelson before her death that she had been subjected to death threats by RUC officers.
At the press conference yesterday the campaign spokesman, Dr Robbie McVeigh, said: "Human rights lawyers are in the front line of the defence of human rights around the world.
"In this context, the murder of Rosemary Nelson was a direct and profound attack on the human rights of everybody in the North of Ireland."
Dr McVeigh said swift movement towards establishing a fully independent investigation and inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Ms Nelson's murder was the only way in which the human rights he said were guaranteed by the Belfast Agreement could be properly protected.
Ms Peirce said she had travelled to Belfast to add her weight to the demands for an independent investigation.
She said a bad, misleading or failed investigation would be worse than no investigation at all. The fight for human rights involved a very basic weapon - the law, and the lawyer was the instrument of that weapon.
"For that lawyer to be subjected to threats or, far, far worse, a risk of assassination, is terrifying and destabilising," Ms Peirce added. She said Ms Nelson had been prepared to "put her head above the parapet." Her ultimate act of courage had been to take public issue with the threats on her life.
The "shocking and terrifying state of affairs" that there had been allegations of security force collusion in her death had to be central to any investigation, Ms Peirce added.
Dr McVeigh said that if the RUC or other elements of the security forces were involved in collusion, they must be exposed. "If they were not, then they had nothing to fear from any independent investigation," he added.
Dr McVeigh will travel to Washington to meet members of Congress.