Stobie: Human rights group calls for inquiry

In a letter sent to the Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid today, a human rights organisation urged the British government to allow another force to investigate the killing of William Stobie.

British Irish Rights Watch said it had ‘‘learned with shock but sadly no great surprise’’ of the shooting.

The human rights group claimed Special Branch and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) should ‘‘play no further part in the investigation of Mr Stobie’s murder’’ given the suspicions about RUC over the Finucane killing.

‘‘We believe that the public could have no confidence in an investigation undertaken by Special Branch and the PSNI and that to allow them to continue with this investigation will only make it more difficult for PSNI to distance itself from the RUC’s poor reputation.

‘‘Furthermore, we urge you to set up a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane and related deaths without further delay or prevarication and before anyone else associated with this case is murdered.’’