BY NORTON SANDLER
SAN FRANCISCO - On August 11 a federal judge here ordered the extradition back to Northern Ireland of Terry Kirby, Kevin Barry Artt, and Pol Brennan. The three Irish freedom fighters had their bail revoked and were jailed within hours of Judge Charles Legge's ruling.

Kirby, Artt, and Brennan were among the 38 Irish freedom fighters who escaped from the H-blocks of Long Kesh (also known as Maze) prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1983. Along with a fourth escapee, Jimmy Smyth, they were arrested by the FBI in the Bay Area in the early 1990s.

The U.S. Justice Department, working closely with the British government, has been pressing the extradition of the H-block defendants for more than five years. The activists have instead demanded that they be allowed to remain in the United States. Smyth was extradited back to Northern Ireland in 1996 and beaten by prison authorities earlier this year.

Kirby and Artt were convicted of murder in a special British court without a jury present. Both were tortured to extract "confessions." Brennan was convicted of possessing explosives in the same type court, referred to as Diplock courts.

In his ruling Judge Legge claimed the three "were convicted because they committed serious crimes, not because they are Catholics or nationalists or republicans."

In a statement released to the press in response to the extradition orders, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams expressed "deep disappointment" at the decision. "Today's judgment should act as a spur on Irish America and all those concerned with truth and justice, to redouble their efforts to prevent the extradition and deportation of Irish political refugees," Adams stated.

Andrew Somers, national president of the Irish American Unity Conference, an organization that has been leading the defense of the three activists, added, "We disagree strongly with Judge Legge's decision... They were interrogated in a center which was condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission, beaten, and convicted by one judge with no jury and without substantial evidence."

The three activists are planning to appeal the ruling and their attorneys are trying to have the three released on bail while the appeal is pending.

Bay area chapters of the Irish American Unity Conference have called for a protest over the extradition orders at the San Francisco Federal Building at 4:30 p.m. on August 22.

Norton Sandler is a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 1781 in San Francisco.  
 
 
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