June 15th has been designated International Day of Action by the
Rosemary Nelson Campaign. This marks the third month anniversary of
Rosemary’s murder and is an opportunity to refocus attention on the
campaign for truth and justice for Rosemary Nelson. To date there have
been significant achievements in support of the Nelson family demands
for an independent investigation and inquiry into the circumstances
surrounding Rosemary’s murder.
A host of national and international organisations have supported the
calls for an independent investigation and inquiry - including the
United Nations, the European Parliament, the US Congress, and the law
societies of England and Wales, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
The demands have also been supported by the international human rights
community - including organisations like Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of Justice,
British/Irish Rights Watch, Irish Council for Civil Liberties and
Inquest.
As yet, however, the British Government has failed to respond to either
of these demands. The present murder investigation is being conducted
largely by the RUC whose members had harassed and death-threated
Rosemary Nelson when she was alive. This investigation - under Colin
Port - has illustrated no ability to prove the initial disquiet of the
Nelson family and others wrong and provide truth and justice for
Rosemary Nelson.
With this in mind, the Rosemary Nelson Campaign is asking people around
the world to take time on June 15 to register their concern with the
British Government and re-emphasise their support for the Nelson family
demands for an international investigation and inquiry into the
circumstances surrounding Rosemary Nelson’s murder.
Things you can do on June 15th
* Ring and/or fax or email your local British Embassy/consulate and
express your concern.
* Write to local media emphasising your concern at the failure of the
British Government to respond to the Nelson family demands.
* Download the Campaign petition at
<http://www.rosemarynelsoncampaign.com/petition.html>
* Deliver copies to your local British Embassy/consulate on the 15th.
The originals should be sent to The Rosemary Nelson Campaign for Truth
and Justice, PO Box 1251, Belfast, BT12 6DN, Ireland.
* Organize a remembrance event or a life celebration event in memory of
Rosemary Nelson.
* Organize a vigil outside British embassies and consulates.
* Launch the Campaign Pack which is now available from the Rosemary
Nelson Campaign and will be formally launched on June 15th around the
world.
* Unveil a billboard supporting the demands of the campaign. Billboards
will already be unveiled in Dublin, London and Belfast on June 15th.
Billboard posters are now available from the campaign in Belfast. Local
groups simply need to organise and fund local billboard sites.
* Ask the Irish Government to support the demands of the campaign.
The Rosemary Nelson Campaign is keen to encourage anyone who wishes to
support the Campaign’s two demands to go ahead and organize an event for
June 15. The only rider is that people and events should be sensitive
to the core issues of the Campaign which were developed with the Nelson
family. People should focus on the human rights dimension to Rosemary
Nelson’s work and the human rights dimensions to the campaign.
Human rights defenders are in the front-line of the defence of human
rights - the murder of a human rights defender is an attack on the human
rights of everyone around the world. People should also focus on the
two demands of the Nelson family which constitute the key objectives of
our campaign: an independent, international investigation and an
independent, international judicial inquiry into the circumstances
surrounding Rosemary Nelson’s murder.
Please contact the Campaign by e-mail at
<campaign@RosemaryNelsonCampaign.com> or visit the main Rosemary Nelson
Campaign website at <http://www.rosemarynelsoncampaign.com/> if you
need any information/materials/support.
Please let us know of any events you are planning and we will include
them on the website. Good luck with your important work.