Release of paramilitary quashed

Adair's supporters say he will appeal against the decision

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- A notorious anti-Catholic militant has been ordered to stay in prison.

The British government successfully argued to the Sentence Review Commission that Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, 36, should not be released early from his 16-year sentence for "directing terrorism."

The commission had decided in December that there were insufficient grounds for holding Adair.

However, police commanders and senior politicians presented two days of evidence in private to the commissioners linking Adair to renewed terrorism, drug dealing and other criminal rackets.

The commissioners said they had heard sufficient "damaging information" -- including accounts of Adair threatening people in a taxi depot -- to persuade them that he "is likely, if released, to breach the terms of his license."

It would have been the second time inside a year that Adair, a convicted chief of the Ulster Defence Association paramilitary group, had been released under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord.

The accord allowed for quick paroles of convicted paramilitaries. Prisoner releases were considered essential to maintaining the ceasefires being observed by the UDA and Irish Republican Army.

Adair was freed early in 1999 but Peter Mandelson, the minister responsible for Northern Ireland, returned him to jail in September 2000, saying he was still a danger to peace.

Supporters of Adair said he wants no violent protests and will appeal against the decision.

"(Mandelson) has got his way," said John White, a political associate of Adair.

"We will challenge this in the courts....A lot of people are very angry about Mr Adair being returned to prison. Johnny Adair doesn't want any protests or demonstrations."

When Mandelson revoked Adair's release he blamed him for fomenting strife between loyalist groups and stirring up sectarian bitterness.

The commission's decision was welcomed by politicians, police and moderate Protestant and Catholic politicians.

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Andrew Mackay said: "In our view it was totally wrong that Adair should have been let out early under the government's early release scheme in September 1999 after serving only a fraction of a 16-year sentence for serious terrorist offences ...

"This decision will have the support of all law-abiding people throughout Northern Ireland who wish to see Johnny Adair serve out the rest of his sentence where he belongs -- behind bars."

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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The Northern Ireland Executive
Royal Ulster Constabulary

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