Guildford Four member Mr Gerry Conlon today paid an emotional tribute to members of the nationalist SDLP for standing by him as he sought to clear his name.
In an address to the party's annual conference in Derry, Mr Conlon, who received a public apology from Britsh Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday, for his wrongful imprisonment, saluted senior SDLP figures for pressing for his, and his father, Guiseppe, to have their names cleared.
The father and son were among 11 people arrested and wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing campaign which killed five people in Guilford and also mounted attacks in Woolwich.
"I am indebted to Seamus Mallon as I am to John Hume for his fight for the Birmingham Six," Mr Conlon said.
"It came down to SDLP leader Mark Durkan coming to see me after a nervous breakdown in October 2003.
"I cannot believe I am here to be able to talk to people who have worked tirelessly, not just for me, but my mother, my sister, all the Maguire family, and others.
"I know if my father was alive, my father would be telling people go out and do the right thing. Help the people who wanted to help you, help the people who want to make people's lives better."