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It is a sad day when a man deserving political
asylum is deported to a country that knows nothing
about justice.
Mark Holohan
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Former Irish Republic Army fighter Joseph Doherty
was secretly deported to Britain Tuesday where he is under sentence to
life in prison for the 1980 murder of a British officer in Northern
Ireland.
The deportation was carried out with no advance notice to the press
or even to his New York attorneys.
One of Doherty's attorneys, Stephen Somerstein, confirmed that
Doherty had been deported. But hours after the 37-year-old Doherty was
reported en route to Britain, had no details.
``We've been told nothing,'' Somerstein said ``We've called the
attorney general and the prison and have gotten nowhere.''
The attorneys called a press conference for 3 p.m. EST.
The deportation stirred up a storm of protest. New York City Mayor
David Dinkins called the deportation ``a stain on the pages of history.''
``Obviously, millions of Irish eyes are weeping today. So are mine,''
he said.
``Doherty is no more likely to receive justice at the hands of
British authorities than he has at the hands of the U.S. Justice
Department,'' Dinkins said.
Doherty, 37, who has been in jail in the United States for nearly
nine years, lost his last legal round for political asylum in the United
States Jan. 16 with a 5-3 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that the
goverment could send him back to Britain to serve out his prison term.
The government's official position was that the Belfast native was a
terrorist with the outlawed Irish Republic Army, wanted for criminal,
not political, activities, and this was endorsed by the Supreme Court
ruling.
His appeal deadline expired Feb. 2, after which he could be deported
aany time.
Doherty was convicted in Northern Ireland in absentia in 1981 of
killing a British Special Air Service captain during an IRA ambush in
Belfast.
He escaped from prison in Northern Ireland before his conviction. He
was arrested in New York in 1983 on charges of illegal entry while
bartending at Clancy's Bar on Third Avenue in Manhattan.
No other charges ever were filed against him during his long
imprisonment.
A federal judge ruled in 1984 that his alleged offense in Great
Britain was a political, not criminal, one, thus barring his extradition
at that time. The government then began the long process of deportation,
delayed time and again by court rulings.
Doherty was incarcerated in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in
New York until last year when he was transferred to the federal
penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pa., where he continued his fight to stay in
the United States or to be deported to the Republic of Ireland. He
claimed he would be persecuted for his beliefs if returned to Northern
Ireland.
A federal appeals court rejected Doherty's request for bail last
August, ruling that since he is not a U.S. citizen, his prolonged
imprisonment did not violate the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
The case has become politicized over the years, with support from
Doherty coming from sources ranging from Irish-American organizations
and the AFL-CIO to Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., Sen. Daniel P.
Moynihan, D-N.Y., and Mayor Dinkins, who recently visited him in
Pennsylvania.
New York City named a street near the correctional center where he
was held Joseph Doherty Corner.
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From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.news.interest.people,clari.news.gov.agency,clari.news.law.civil,clari.news.law.crime.violent
Subject: IRA fighter Joe Doherty deported
Keywords: people, human interest, government agencies, government,
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 19 Feb 92 19:06:00 GMT
Lines: 58
Approved: [email protected]
Location: new york city, new york
ACategory: regional
Slugword: ny-doherty
Priority: urgent
Format: breaking
ANPA: Wc: 555; Id: z4360; Sel: nxnhp; Adate: 2-19-205pes
Codes: ynhpbnx., yngabnx., ynlbbnx., ynlxbny.
Note: urgent
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Former Irish Republic Army fighter Joseph Doherty
was secretly deported to Britain Tuesday where he is under sentence to
life in prison for the 1980 murder of a British officer in Northern
Ireland.
The deportation was carried out with no advance notice to the press
or even to his New York attorneys.
One of Doherty's attorneys, Stephen Somerstein, confirmed that
Doherty had been deported. But hours after the 37-year-old Doherty was
reported en route to Britain, had no details.
``We've been told nothing,'' Somerstein said ``We've called the
attorney general and the prison and have gotten nowhere.''
The attorneys called a press conference for 3 p.m. EST.
The deportation stirred up a storm of protest. New York City Mayor
David Dinkins called the deportation ``a stain on the pages of history.''
``Obviously, millions of Irish eyes are weeping today. So are mine,''
he said.
``Doherty is no more likely to receive justice at the hands of
British authorities than he has at the hands of the U.S. Justice
Department,'' Dinkins said.
Doherty, 37, who has been in jail in the United States for nearly
nine years, lost his last legal round for political asylum in the United
States Jan. 16 with a 5-3 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that the
goverment could send him back to Britain to serve out his prison term.
The government's official position was that the Belfast native was a
terrorist with the outlawed Irish Republic Army, wanted for criminal,
not political, activities, and this was endorsed by the Supreme Court
ruling.
His appeal deadline expired Feb. 2, after which he could be deported
aany time.
Doherty was convicted in Northern Ireland in absentia in 1981 of
killing a British Special Air Service captain during an IRA ambush in
Belfast.
He escaped from prison in Northern Ireland before his conviction. He
was arrested in New York in 1983 on charges of illegal entry while
bartending at Clancy's Bar on Third Avenue in Manhattan.
No other charges ever were filed against him during his long
imprisonment.
A federal judge ruled in 1984 that his alleged offense in Great
Britain was a political, not criminal, one, thus barring his extradition
at that time. The government then began the long process of deportation,
delayed time and again by court rulings.
Doherty was incarcerated in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in
New York until last year when he was transferred to the federal
penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pa., where he continued his fight to stay in
the United States or to be deported to the Republic of Ireland. He
claimed he would be persecuted for his beliefs if returned to Northern
Ireland.
A federal appeals court rejected Doherty's request for bail last
August, ruling that since he is not a U.S. citizen, his prolonged
imprisonment did not violate the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
The case has become politicized over the years, with support from
Doherty coming from sources ranging from Irish-American organizations
and the AFL-CIO to Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., Sen. Daniel P.
Moynihan, D-N.Y., and Mayor Dinkins, who recently visited him in
Pennsylvania.
New York City named a street near the correctional center where he
was held Joseph Doherty Corner.
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