The General Assembly Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measure, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of member states themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

'Official collusion and cover-up' in the UK

Decades of Impunity: Serious Allegations of Rape of Kenyan Women by UK Army

'Official collusion
and cover-up' in the UK

Inquiry sham under new UK legislation

Sixteen years after the killing of Patrick Finucane, the UK government continues to refuse to hold a truly independent public inquiry into his murder. The outspoken human rights lawyer was shot dead at his home in Belfast in February 1989. Evidence later emerged that police and military intelligence agents had colluded with paramilitaries in his murder. In April 2004, an independent report on the killing, commissioned by the UK and Irish governments, recommended a public inquiry.

But the UK authorities intend to establish an inquiry into the Finucane case under the new Inquiries Act 2005. The Act empowers the UK authorities to block public scrutiny of state actions.

Any inquiry held under such legislation would fall far short of international human rights standards. Any judge sitting on such an inquiry would be presiding over a sham.
Please write, calling on the UK authorities to establish without delay a genuinely independent, public inquiry into Patrick Finucane’s murder; also urge the authorities to repeal the Inquiries Act 2005.

Send letters to:
Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP
Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
UK

Fax: + 44 207 925 0918
e-mail