The petition:-
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise the deep concerns people have about the safety of the conviction of Michael Shields for a crime committed in Bulgaria. We call on the Prime Minister and his Government to do all they can to assist in persuading the Bulgarian Government to re-open the case and for them to look at new and existing evidence."
The response recieved from the one-eyed wonder's office today...
"Since the incident in May 2005 the Foreign and Commonwealth office has provided Mr Shields and his family with all appropriate consular assistance during their time in Bulgaria. As you know, we cannot interfere in the judicial affairs of another state as they cannot interfere in our own. However the FCO has helped to facilitate the transfer agreement with the Bulgarian authorities to allow Michael to serve the remainder of the sentence in a UK facility.
The FCO appreciates the concern over Mr Shields' conviction, but there is little more they can do to assist. As far as the Bulgarian authorities are concerned the case is closed and all appeal processes exhausted. The FCO is aware that Mr Shields' legal team made an approach to the European Court of Human Rights, but that this also failed. Given the European Court's ruling that the Bulgarian courts had not violated the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to admit any further evidence after the trial had started, the FCO sees no grounds for their intervention. It is now for Mr Shields' legal team to decide on how to take his case forward."
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise the deep concerns people have about the safety of the conviction of Michael Shields for a crime committed in Bulgaria. We call on the Prime Minister and his Government to do all they can to assist in persuading the Bulgarian Government to re-open the case and for them to look at new and existing evidence."
The response recieved from the one-eyed wonder's office today...
"Since the incident in May 2005 the Foreign and Commonwealth office has provided Mr Shields and his family with all appropriate consular assistance during their time in Bulgaria. As you know, we cannot interfere in the judicial affairs of another state as they cannot interfere in our own. However the FCO has helped to facilitate the transfer agreement with the Bulgarian authorities to allow Michael to serve the remainder of the sentence in a UK facility.
The FCO appreciates the concern over Mr Shields' conviction, but there is little more they can do to assist. As far as the Bulgarian authorities are concerned the case is closed and all appeal processes exhausted. The FCO is aware that Mr Shields' legal team made an approach to the European Court of Human Rights, but that this also failed. Given the European Court's ruling that the Bulgarian courts had not violated the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to admit any further evidence after the trial had started, the FCO sees no grounds for their intervention. It is now for Mr Shields' legal team to decide on how to take his case forward."
Comment