Sarah Ludford MEP in urgent appeal to save British hunger-striker in Dutch prison

5.08.58pm GMT Mon 29th Nov 2004

Baroness Sarah Ludford, London MEP and Liberal Democrat European Justice spokeswoman, has urged the Dutch Justice Minister, Piet Hein Donner, to take urgent action to help save the life of British businessman Kevin Sweeney, who is currently on hunger strike in a Dutch prison.

Mr Sweeney, who is 54 and has protested his innocence for nine years, was convicted of murdering his wife in a retrial after an original acquittal. He claims the retrial was unfair.

Kevin Sweeney has been on hunger strike intermittently since July. He claims the Dutch authorities have obstructed his attempts to launch an appeal, that his correspondence has been intercepted and destroyed, access to his legal documents blocked and use of a computer denied. He is now in a prison hospital near the Hague because his blood pressure has fallen to dangerously low levels.

Sarah Ludford asked Mr Donner to promote a resolution of the disputed issues when she questioned him about the case in the European Parliament's Civil Liberties committee on 25th November, but she received unsatisfactory answers. Mr Donner even took the view that the European Parliament was not the proper forum to discuss the case.

Having communicated again with Mr Donner today, she said,

"As this stalling continues, a man is dying. The onus is urgently on the Dutch authorities to ensure that his legal rights are respected and justice is done for Kevin Sweeney."

"The Justice Minister may not want the case discussed at European level, but when a British man is dying in a Dutch prison, it is reasonable for a British MEP to ask why."

Notes

1. Further details of Kevin Sweeney's case can be found on the Fair Trials Abroad website: www.fairtrialsabroad.org. Kevin Sweeney was Fair Trials Abroad's 'Prisoner of the Month' in February 2004

2. Details of the claims about the case and past press releases can also be obtained from the Justice for Kevin Sweeney website at: www.justiceforkevinsweeney.com