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Madden & Finucane
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the Madden & Finucane
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Families start hunt for truth of SAS killings
22 June 2000 --
The families of three IRA members killed by the SAS are demanding a full
independent inquiry into ‘shoot to kill’ allegations surrounding their deaths.
Dennis Brown (28), Jackie Mailey (29) and Jim Mulvenna (28) were shot by
soldiers as they prepared to firebomb a post office in Ballysillan in north
Belfast. A 27-year-old Protestant civilian, William Hanna, was also killed by
security forces as he walked to his home close to the attack shortly after
midnight on June 21 1978. At the time the army claimed the men were challenged
at the post office and there was an exchange of fire – a claim vehemently denied
by the men’s families. At a press conference in west Belfast yesterday relatives
of the three IRA men and their supporters launched a concerted drive to find the
truth about the events of that night 22 years ago. Geraldine Keenan, the sister
of Dennis Brown, said the families did not dispute the men were involved in IRA
activity at the time of their deaths. But she argued that they were unarmed
apart from a bomb which was not primed to explode and that their target was
uninhabited. “These premeditated and pre-planned killings contravene Article 2
of the European Convention on Human Rights: the right to life,” Ms Keenan said.
Insisting the families have never received any explanation for the killings, she
added: “The SAS were determined that no prisoners were to be taken alive that
night.” Relatives want to know why security forces did not arrest the men if
they knew about the unarmed IRA operation beforehand. Relatives for Justice
chairman Mgnr Raymond Murray said: “There are basic human rules about shooting
an unarmed, wounded man on the ground. “For these people there’s a healing in
the truth and a justice stitched in the truth.” Mgnr Murray lambasted sections
of the media for believing “the propaganda of the first statement” issued by
security forces. He was particularly scathing about reports which linked the IRA
men to the group which carried out the La Mon House bombing in which 12 people
died. These were “stories without morality”, he said. Madden and Finucane
solicitors, said: “If we don’t get answers we will take this to Europe. We are
seeking an independent public inquiry into the whole issue.” Dennis Brown’s
mother Margaret was visibly emotional as she told those gathered she needed “to
be healed”. “I have carried this for 22 years. It’s so hard to talk about. All I
want is to clear their names. They were IRA men but I am proud of that. They
were good lads.”
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