Madam, - The lurid article on the Agenda page in your edition of October 17th is a further example of The Irish Times's descent into cheap tabloid sensationalism.
Clearly the author has had sight of some sort of document. I want to make clear at the outset that whatever documents have been produced by the United States authorities, neither I nor my legal team have yet received any information from the US authorities to set out the nature of the allegations against me.
I know that some people have had sight of a document which purports to give a chronological account of alleged meetings, trips and visits to various countries worldwide. No evidence is offered of any crime or wrongdoing and it is very much designed to create a climate which will, to say the least, blacken my name in the public mind.
The media are playing a part in this process and the use of a North Korean poster on your Agenda page is designed to bolster the image of North Korea and Sean Garland as put forward by the United States.
I am still in discussions with my legal representatives on what is, for my family, myself and my party, a most serious matter. Again I wish strenuously to deny all of these allegations which stem from a very dubious source. I fully intend to contest all these allegations in court. My ability to do so, however, is hampered by lack of information from the US authorities and much misinformed and prejudicial media comment, of which your Agenda piece is but one major example of trial by media.
In the meantime, I am awaiting the outcome of certain legal procedures and I would expect the media to do the same. - Yours, etc,
SEAN GARLAND, President, The Workers Party, Belfast 12.
Madam, - The arrest by the PSNI of Sean Garland by order of the United States Government on October 7th was, we believe, an act of gross injustice against a law-abiding Irish citizen.
We are extremely concerned that an Irish citizen has been arrested on foot of an extradition warrant issued by the US government while he was in the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland. If these were serious charges why did the US government wait until Sean Garland was outside the jurisdiction of the Irish Republic before this warrant was served on him?
We also believe that the extradition of a political activist who has for many years peacefully opposed the foreign policy of successive United States governments, including the illegal invasion of Iraq, is politically motivated and will result in the denial of basic human rights and will rule out any possibility of a fair trial in that country.
We the undersigned call for the Irish Government to seek the immediate lifting of the restriction of his freedom and movement imposed by the courts in that he must remain in Northern Ireland while the United States government provides evidence against him.
We also note the failure to provide such evidence despite claims that an investigation has been under way for 15 years.
We draw attention to the fact that Sean Garland has consistently worked for peace in Ireland and across the world and as a republican has dedicated his life to the unity of Catholic Protestant and Dissenter in Ireland and against sectarianism.
Sean Garland has not been charged with any crime and his rights under article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights are, we believe, violated in that he has not been afforded the right to a fair trial as a result of the action of the British and United States governments. - Yours, etc (in a personal capacity), -
JACK O'CONNOR, General President, Siptu; MICK O'REILLY, General Secretary, ATGWU; CHRIS HUDSON, MBE; FERGUS WHELAN, Ictu; TOM BRADY, National Secretary, IMPACT; NOEL DOWLING, DES HUGHES, GERRY LYNCH, JOHN DUNNE, MICK CORCORAN, KEVIN McMAHON, JIMMY JORDAN, TOM O'DWYER, ERIC FLEMING, MAGS O'BRIEN, RHONDA DONAGHY, ANDREW McGUINESS, TISH GIBBONS, DAVE FIELDS, Industrial Officials, Siptu; MICK FINNEGAN, Union Activist, Siptu; PAUL HANDSARD, National Executive member, Siptu; BARNEY HARTNETT, ATGWU Retired Members' Association; c/o Liberty Hall, Dubin 1.