The Five Demands

Il SDLP si è espresso in totale supporto del Sunday Tribune in merito al rifiuto di Suzanne Breen di conformarsi alle richieste del PSNI.
Mark Durkan, leader del SDLP, insieme con l’Alleanza parte dell’UE candidati Ian Paisley, candidato dell’Alliance Party alla europee, e Stephen Agnew candidato per i Green, hanno aderito ad una campagna in sostegno della battaglia legale di Suzanne Breen contro la polizia.
La campagna ha suscitato notevole interesse nazionale e internazionale e sta raccogliendo consensi da giornalisti, scrittori, gruppi per le libertà civili, sindacalisti, e esponenti di arti e  cultura.
La scorsa settimana, il SDLP ha tentato di presentare una mozione alla House of Commons e all’Assembly di Stormont, sostenendo che le azioni del PSNI potrebbero compromettere il ‘giornalismo investigativo e i giornalisti’.
Alex Attwood, del SDLP e membro dell’Assembly, si è detto sbalordito nell’apprendere che la mozione non avrebbe potuto essere discussa da nessuna delle Camere, perchè sub judice (ovvero in attesa di giudizio).
“Perché l’Assemblea ha discusso ed ha sostenuto il diritto di Ian Paisley Jr di proteggere le fonti, ma non può fare lo stesso per Suzanne Breen?”
“Questo deve essere investigato a fondo.”
Attwood ha poi aggiunto: “I reporters hanno il diritto di fare il loro lavoro. L’indipendenza dei media è essenziale.”
Il SDLP riformulerà la mozione e la presenterà nuovamente a Westminster e Stormont.
Silenzio totale sulla questione proviene dal DUP e dal Sinn Fein. Quest’ultimo che si è sempre  mostrato contrario alla censura e alla violazione della libertà di stampa, non si è espresso finora a favore della Breen.
Il 26 maggio a Londra, si terrà una manifestazione del National Union of Journalists (NUJ), che vedrà anche la presenza attiva di Alex Thomson di Channel 4.
Un gruppo su Facebook dedicato alla battaglia della giornalista e la petizione indetta dal NUJ, hanno raccolto in pochi giorni 500 adesioni.
L’udienza sul caso Breen si terrà il 29 Maggio e per l’occasione il NUJ organizzerà un picchetto al di fuori del tribunale in concomitanza con una protesta presso gli uffici del NIO di Londra a Milbank.

SDLP backs ‘Tribune’ legal battle with PSNI (Tribune.ie)
PSNI’s actions against Northern Editor Suzanne Breen could ‘undermine investigative journalism’
The SDLP is strongly supporting the Sunday Tribune in its refusal to comply with PSNI demands that the paper’s Northern Editor hand over phones, computers and other material relating to stories on the Real IRA.
SDLP leader Mark Dur­kan, along with the Alliance party’s EU candidate Ian Parsley, and Green candidate Stephen Agnew, have backed a campaign supporting Suzanne Breen in her legal battle with police.
The campaign has attracted significant national and international support. It has been endorsed by journalists, writers, civil liberties groups, trade unionists, and arts and cultural figures.
Last week, the SDLP attempted to table motions in the House of Commons and the Stormont Assembly supporting Breen, saying the PSNI’s actions could seriously undermine investigative journalism.
SDLP Assembly member, Alex Attwood, said he was stunned when told that neither chamber could debate the matter because it was sub judice (under judgement).
Attwood said: “Weeks ago, the Assembly debated Ian Paisley jnr’s right to protect sources relating to the Billy Wright murder inquiry. The Assembly debated the Omagh bomb during the civil action by Omagh relatives.
“We debated Raymond McCord jnr’s murder during that criminal investigation. Nobody claimed those matters couldn’t be discussed because they were sub judice.”
Attwood said the decision regarding the Breen motion had been made by the Assembly’s “business office” and that the decision to ban the Commons’ motion had been taken after Westminster consulted with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).
“Why can the Assembly debate and support Ian Paisley jnr’s right to protect sources, but can’t do the same for Suzanne Breen?” he asked. “It’s very inconsistent – indeed, it might be even more than inconsistent. This must be investigated thoroughly.”
Attwood said the SDLP fully supported the PSNI investigation into the murder of two soldiers at Massereene but believed a court order forcing Breen to hand over journalistic material “would put investigative journalism and journalists at risk”.
He said: “Reporters have a right to do their job. An independent media is essential.” The SDLP will be resubmitting reworded motions to Westminster and Stormont.
The north’s two main parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, have bizarrely remained silent on the Breen case. The DUP strongly defended Ian Paisley jnr’s right to protect his sources with first minister Peter Robinson even giving court evidence on his behalf.
Sinn Féin has traditionally opposed censorship and state infringement of press freedom but has so far failed to support Breen. Jim Boumelha, president of the International Federation of Journalists, which represents 600,000 reporters in 123 countries across the world, condemned the PSNI’s actions and praised the Sunday Tribune.
Breen will address a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) rally in London in support of the Sunday Tribune’s stand for source protection on 26 May. Other speakers will include Channel 4’s chief correspondent, Alex Thomson.
The full hearing of the PSNI case against the Sunday Tribune opens in Belfast on 29 May. The NUJ is organising a picket outside the court. The NUJ will simultaneously hold a protest outside the NIO’s London offices at Milbank.
A Facebook support group and petition, along with an NUJ petition, has already attracted over 500 signatures within days. Support messages from organisations and individuals can also be sent to sbreen@tribune.ie