Call for End of Threats

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Irish Voice News

Call for End of Threats

December 13, 2007

By Barry McCaffrey

LEADING churchmen and government ministers have demanded an end to death threats against the widow of a veteran Republican.

Holy Cross priest Father Aidan Troy and Sinn Fein Minister Gerry Kelly have condemned a campaign of intimidation against Sinn Fein Councilor Breige Meehan.

Last month Meehan’s husband Martin, who had been a leading Republican throughout the Troubles, died as a result of a heart attack at his north Belfast home.

However, in the weeks before his death Martin Meehan and his wife had been subjected to a series of death threats from

dissident Republicans opposed to Sinn Fein’s support for policing.

On the day he died Meehan had been forced to search the area outside his home after claims that a bomb had been planted.

However since her husband’s death Mrs. Meehan has been the victim of continued dissident Republican death threats, with two hoax bomb alerts at her home last week.

Ardoyne priest Troy called for an immediate end to the threats.

“I think it’s particularly disgusting that a woman, who has just lost her husband, is being targeted in this way,” he said.

“I don’t know what these people think they are achieving by putting a grieving grandmother through such pain but I can tell them that they don’t have the support of this community. These attacks must stop now.”

Sinn Fein junior government minister Gerry Kelly said there was anger within the community that Mrs. Meehan was being targeted.

“There have been scores of these death threats against Breige Meehan and other Republicans in recent months,” he said.

“It’s ironic that someone who endured a lifetime of harassment and intimidation at the

hands of the British and Loyalists is now being targeted by a micro-group which has absolutely no support within this community.”

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