The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission today called for an independent, international judicial inquiry into the murder of loyalist Billy Wright inside the Maze Prison days after Christmas in 1997.
The Loyalist Volunteer Force leader was shot dead as he was being put into the back of a van in a loyalist compound to be taken to the visiting area.
Two members of the Irish National Liberation Army, who were also imprisoned in the Maze outside Lisburn, Co Antrim were later sentenced to life for the murder.
The Human Rights Commission said it was calling for the independent, international, public, judicial inquiry into the murder after a close examination of the killing and recent case law.
It said it believed such an inquiry was "the process most likely to arrive at the truth as to what actually happened on the day of the murder and as to the relevant surrounding circumstances."
Even though there had been convictions some relevant facts had still not been established, the Commission said.
"In particular, it has not yet been established how the gun used to kill Mr Wright was brought into the Maze Prison, nor how the killers were able to gain access to the area where Mr Wright was killed without being detected," it added.
In the view of the Commission the State had a duty under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights to not only protect life, especially of those held in custody, but also to thoroughly and effectively investigate when a person in custody had been deprived of life.
The Government has already announced that the case of Billy Wright is one of six that will be investigated by an international judge following an agreement between the British and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties last summer.
But despite that the Chief Commissioner, Professor Brice Dickson, said it was making the call for an independent inquiry following meetings with Billy Wright's father David and in the light of a European Court of Human Rights decision in March on the case of a man killed by a cellmate while in custody in England.
Professor Dickson said: "The Commission is now of the view that a full-scale public inquiry should be initiated so that all aspects of the murder of Mr Wright can be thoroughly and effectively investigated.
"The Commission is particularly motivated by the facts that Billy Wright was in the custody of the State when he was murdered and that very relevant information concerning the circumstances surrounding his murder has not yet been unearthed.
"We believe that Article 2 of the European Convention requires an independent inquiry in this case."
PA