raytheon prisoners: 8 out of 9 out on bail !
derry |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Friday August 11, 2006 17:52
by ali la pointe - jack white's flying column
gagging orders and other restrictions
News just breaking that the judge at the Bail hearing at Belfast Crown court has granted bail to the 8 people who applied for it. The 9th, a former member of the Republican Socialist Movement and political prisoner who is out on license under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement had chosen to hold his bail application back so as not to jeopardise his comrades' chances. It is understood he will make a bail application on Monday.
The information I have is sketchy, but it is understood that the conditions imposed by the judge include a gagging order on not speaking out against the war or any anti-war activity of any kind, the 9 not being allowed to associate with each other, some kind of exclusionary zone around the Ulster Science and Technology park, where raytheon are located, and a guarantee that they will not interfere with raytheon employees.
Their next bail hearing is on 29 Aug. It is not clear whether their offences have been 'de-scheduled' so that their cases can be heard by a court with a jury. It appears as though this was raised by the defence but that no decision has been made about it. There was also some discussion about the charge of Aggravated Burglary, in relation to a crowbar that was used to get through a door. It appears as though the prosecution has accepted that the crowbar was not intended for harming any person, meaning that the 'Aggravated' can be dropped from the charge. It is still not clear which particular piece of legislation the charges are being brought under.
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7it is understood that the conditions imposed by the judge include a gagging order on not speaking out against the war or any anti-war activity of any kind,
That is not the purpose of bail conditions and seems like an over-reach of the judge's powers surely?
the 9 not being allowed to associate with each other, some kind of exclusionary zone around the Ulster Science and Technology park, where Raytheon are located, and a guarantee that they will not interfere with Raytheon employees.
I can understand the above bail conditions (fairly common in many systems) e.g.
http://www.courtprep.ca/en/justiceProcess/bail.asp
http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/defendant/Bail/index.html
where the intent is to make sure that the accused will be present in court and won't interfere with witnesses.
But a gagging order seems like a completely unwarranted interference in their right to free speech.
Glad there all out, so they still charge with aggravated burglary?, last time people entered the building they were never charged with anything, doens't seem like Raytheon are keen on charging people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/477...7.stm states The men are accused of aggravated burglary with intent to cause unlawful damage and unlawful assembly.
This case is not really comparable to the Pitstop Ploughshares, I think the equipment is a further degree removed from damage elsewhere, unless they took copies of what was on the computers or the previous avidavits that FEIC'ers had from ex-employees about what work done their was for to enter into evidence.
Congratulations again and thanks to all involved. Let us know if you setup a bank account for donations (with IBAN, SWIFT and BIC). Are the 9 looked after?
It may not be such a bad thing to be charged with an indictable offense like aggrevated burglary -- it may help them get a jury trial (if that's what they want), and it wouldn't stick if it ever comes to trial.
Read about the Maytime action and the historic Greenock trial that followed it in 1999 on the Trident Ploughshares website: http://tridentploughshares.org/article1131
Prof. Francis Boyle, who gave expert international law testimony in that trial should be contacted asap by the Derry support group if they're thinking of going the trial route.
Good news that eight have got bail and let's hope the remaining activist gets out on Monday. I can understand why the application is being done separately, though it shouldn't have to be like that. Let's hope everything goes as it should on Monday.
Once again, well done to those who participated in this action, whether they were inside or outside the building! It would be nice to see Raytheon finally run out of Derry. That day will come.
She said during an eight hour stand-off, office equipment and computers were damaged or thrown out of the windows.A mainframe computer suffered £150,000 of damage and the total damage was in the region of £350,000.
She said after being arrested by police, all nine people read out a statement at the start of their interviews in which, she said, they attempted to justify their actions.
more at http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=5...31978 (sub req)
via slugger http://www.sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/...bail/
If these naughty burglars are charged, then relevant Raytheon documents, previously confidential, become "discoverable" - i.e. the defence can demand to have them admitted as evidence.
For example, the defendants might ask for documents pertaining to a certain missile, manufactured by Raytheon, that struck a marketplace in the Shu'ale district of Baghdad at the end of March 2003, killing dozens of civilians:
In Baghdad, blood and bandages for the innocent
http://www.robert-fisk.com/articles199.htm
The Proof: Marketplace Deaths Were Caused by a US Missile
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0402-02.htm
Is it conceivable that Raytheon in Derry has contributed to the manufacture of missiles that are currently causing collateral damage to civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon? I wonder whether Robert Fisk has found any numbered shards from Raytheon missiles in Lebanon in recent weeks?
It will be just scandalous if these scoundrels in Derry demand to see confidential documents dealing with the manufacture of goods that play a vital role in the war on terrorism. After all, how can Uncle Sam fight terror if the enemy gets the numbers on his missiles?
Release them without charge, I say!
And move Raytheon to somewhere where the terrorists will need more than a crowbar to break in - an industrial estate on the other side of the moon, for example.
Best,
Coilín.
One presume both prosecution and defense will finese the charges when it eventually goes to trial but at the moment they are all charged with the same charges of aggravated assault and unlawful assembly... although they all refute these charges to varying degrees.
Both men were charged with aggravated burglary on August 9 and going equipped with an offensive weapon, namely a crowbar. The pair were also charged with unlawful assembly on August 9.
The next two to appear were Sean Heaton of 78 Circular Road and Kieran Vincent Gallagher of the Craft Village. Again they faced identical charges to the others.
Detective Holland told the court Heaton replied: "I didn't have a crowbar" when charged and Gallagher had made no reply.
Both men were remanded in custody to appear by video link on September 7.
When Michael Gallagher of 47, Beechwood Avenue appeared he refused to stand for the charges being read. He too faced the same two charges.
Detective Holland said when charged Gallagher said his
actions were in "solidarity with the oppressed people of Lebanon and Palestine" and added that Raytheon had "some sort of responsibility to share in their murders."
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