Drawing upon a wide body of publicly available material, Rights Watch (UK) has written a report into the Omagh bombing. Because the bombing occurred after the Peace Agreement it lies outside the remit of the mechanisms of Dealing with the Past like the Historical Enquiry Team (HET). And while there have been several court cases – both criminal and civil – they have raised more questions than they have answered.
The report describes the events leading up to the bombing of Omagh, the bombing itself and the subsequent investigations, concentrating on what was known prior to the Omagh bombing, and whether it could have been prevented. As detailed in the report, vital information is held by the governments of the UK, Ireland and the US. Without their cooperation progress is not possible.
Susan Bryant, Director of Rights Watch UK said:
“On the 15th anniversary of the bombing it is time to insist on answers. The survivors and the families of those who died on that day deserve no less. We call upon the governments of the UK, Ireland and the United States to agree upon a cross-border inquiry. Only then can valuable lessons be learned and a measure of justice delivered.”
ENDS
For further information contact info@rightsandsecurity.org
