Sean Brown was abducted and killed by loyalists as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Derry in May 1997. No one has been convicted of his murder.
But following a second high-court judge ruling that there needs to be an inquiry into Sean's murder, the Labour Secretary of State lodged an appeal against this decision in an attempt to prevent a public inquiry.
Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit MLA, said,
“The continued refusal of the British government to establish an inquiry into Sean Brown’s tragic murder is a flagrant breach of human rights and a tacit admission of state cover-up.
‘State agents have been publicly linked to this murder. Two separate High Court judges have ordered the British government to begin a public inquiry. Yet the Secretary of State is doing everything in his power to block this family’s access to truth and justice. These are the actions of a government hell-bent on hiding state-sanctioned murder.
‘I call on the British state to break the habits of a lifetime; to follow through on its human rights obligations, to stop obstructing access to justice for bereaved families and finally to come clean on the extent of its collusion with paramilitary death squads across Ireland.'
British government should come clean on collusion over Sean Brown's death
Counsel for the coroner examining his death gave an update on Tuesday. Up to 25 people including state agents were linked to the murder of a GAA official in 1997
