Court rejects application for McAliskey extradition

A Northern Ireland woman wanted for trial about a 1996 IRA bombing in Germany will not be extradited, the courts service said today.

Roisin McAliskey, aged 35, had been fighting efforts to send her to a German court over the attempted murder of soldiers at a British army barracks in Osnabruck.

She was arrested at her home in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, last May and was on bail.

Her lawyers have argued that to extradite her would be an abuse of process as a previous application seven years ago was set aside on medical grounds.

A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Court Service said: “The Recorder of Belfast, Judge (Tom) Burgess, today refused an application to extradite Roisin McAliskey to Germany to face a charge of attempted murder on the basis that it would be oppressive because of the passage (of) time.”

A lawyer for German prosecutors has claimed that there was evidence linking Ms McAliskey to the attack.

Judge Burgess heard the case in Belfast last month.

The Federal Public Prosecutor in Germany alleged Ms McAliskey was a member of a Provisional IRA active service unit which in June 1996 fired three mortar grenades in the direction of Quebec Barracks in Osnabruck.

No one was killed or injured but substantial damage was done to property at the base and surrounding houses.

British Home Secretary Jack Straw decided in 1998 not to extradite Ms McAliskey after receiving medical reports.

The UK's Attorney General Lord Williams said in 2000 there were no grounds for UK legal proceedings.

Judge Burgess said: “Many ordinary people, standing back and looking at the sequence of events I have set out would come to the conclusion that anyone in the position of Ms McAliskey would have concluded that the matter was behind her.”

He added that the passage of time, her poor health and the birth of her two children reinforced his decision to refuse the application.

Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “I welcome this decision. It was the right one.

“These extradition proceedings should never have brought in the first place given the legal precedence in the case.

“This should now be the end of this matter and Roisin should be allowed to get on with her life.”