Inquests on controversial killings in North criticised

INQUESTS in Northern Ireland did not ensure proper investigations into disputed killings, according to Amnesty International's annual report.

The document also highlights the deaths of three people in "disputed circumstances" while in police custody in England, the apparent inadequacy of measures against officials responsible for human rights violations, and paramilitary "punishment" killings and beatings in the North.

The 360 page report covers 146 states, with no listing for, the Republic. Ms Mary Lawlor, director of Amnesty International's Irish section, said, however, that just because there isn't any entry, it doesn't mean there isn't anything wrong".

Amnesty was concerned about the lack of protection for asylum seekers in Ireland and would be closely monitoring the new refugee legislation. The human rights organisation was also discussing with the Government allegations about the ill treatment of prisoners, she said.

In its three page section on the United Kingdom, the report said the British government continued to prevent inquests "examining the full circumstances of a number of disputed killings which had taken place in previous years" in the North.

The report, issued yesterday, deals with events in 1995. It refers to Public Interest Immunity certificates which were issued by the government to prevent the disclosure of evidence at inquests. It noted that "none of the security force members involved in the killings gave oral evidence".

The report urges the British government to institute an independent review of legislation and procedures on the use of lethal force and welcomes the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Britain had "violated the right to life when its agents killed three IRA members in Gibraltar".

Amnesty also strongly condemned the bombing of Manchester last Saturday which, it said, followed a series of other explosions in England since the IRA ended its ceasefire. "These indiscriminate attacks on civilians have taken place against a backdrop of other abuses," it said in a separate statement.

In reference to punishment beatings in the North, the report expresses continued concern that "armed political groups carried out human rights abuses," including seven killings and 217 beatings.

The report expresses concern about the denial of the rights of suspects arrested under emergency legislation in the North. Amnesty also renewed its appeal to the Northern Secretary to review the life sentences of Patrick Kane, Sean Kelly and Michael Timmons, who were convicted of the murder of two army corporals at the funerals of three IRA members in 1988.