Six human-rights organisations have made fresh calls for an independent inquiry into the killing of solicitor Rosemary Nelson, and in a joint statement have claimed that the Northern Ireland Office and the RUC bear some responsibility for her death.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, British Irish Watch and the Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice issued the statement along with a report on the killing.
The killing "underlined the government's failure to meet its obligation" to protect Ms Nelson, the statement said and added that her death "was also a serious indictment of the Royal Ulster Constabulary's failure to carry out a fundamental aspect of its job - to protect and save lives".
Ms Nelson, solicitor to the nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road, claimed she had received numerous death threats. She was killed in March by a bomb which exploded under her car as she drove away from her Lurgan home. The attack was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders.
The Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, speaking yesterday at the Northern Ireland Youth Forum's human-rights conference, was critical of the six organisations for not sending him a copy of their report. "From what I learn of it, from the media, I don't believe that it adds anything to the allegations that have already been made. The matter is being properly examined at the very highest level by a very senior police officer," he said.
The report said: "While Colin Port [a deputy chief constable from Norfolk] is actively investigating aspects of the case, to date his investigation has not resulted in any arrests. We note this with great concern."
The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, gave a cautious response to the statement from the organisations but said he would examine the evidence carefully when it was made available. The Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, stressed he took the issue "very seriously" and would study the report closely.
Sinn Fein MLA Ms Dara O'Hagan said she had written to Mr Mandelson requesting a meeting to discuss the killing. Meanwhile, Mr Norman Boyd of the anti-agreement Northern Ireland Unionist Party, said the unionist community would be angered at the apparent nationalist bias of some of the human rights groups.