ALBA MPS CALL FOR LAW CHANGE IN COMMONS Motion.
The award winning campaigning journalist and documentary maker John Pilger has today (Thursday) called for the release of Craig Murray on compassionate grounds. This coincides with the tabling of an Early Day Motion by ALBA MPs, Neale Hanvey MP and Kenny MacAskill MP which calls on the Scottish Government to consider the request by the Craig Murray Justice Group and the international whistleblowing community for the release of Craig Murray on compassionate grounds. In addition the motion calls on the Scottish Government to introduce emergency legislation to allow civil prisoners to be treated in the same way as criminal prisoners which would allow the option of early release on tag to be considered.
In a statement ALBA Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey MP said:
“ There has been a double standard applied to Craig Murray which has seen him imprisoned as a blogger while others in the mainstream media have not been sanctioned. Not only that he has been treated more harshly as a civil prisoner than if he had been convicted of a criminal offence.
“ This inhumane and punitive treatment of Craig Murray must end. That is why along with Kenny MacAskill I have tabled a Commons motion calling on the Scottish Government to heed the request by the Craig Murray Justice Group, the international whistleblowing community and now the human rights campaigner John Pilger to consider the release of Craig Murray on compassionate grounds as a matter of urgency.
“ I am delighted that John Pilger has added his considerable stature to this call. His support will be warmly welcomed by Craig, his family, friends and supporters.
“The Scottish Government must also act to address the inequality in Scots Law which sees Craig treated more harshly as a civil prisoner by bringing forward emergency legislation to allow civil prisoners to be treated in the same way as criminal prisoners”.
In a statement John Pilger said:
“ Craig Murray is not a criminal. He is in prison because a judge uniquely claimed his journalism was in contempt of a criminal case under an arcane provision of Scottish law.
“ This was never tested before a jury. Craig is a ‘civil prisoner’ – a gentle, intellectual man who has serious underlying health heart and lung issues. There has recently been an outbreak of Covid-19 in the immediate vicinity of Craig’s prison cell. Craig Murray should be released immediately on tagged home release, if necessary. Otherwise, his life is at risk.”
EARLY DAY MOTION
The Imprisonment of Craig Murray
That this House notes with deep concern that Craig Murray is the first journalist in 70 years to have been imprisoned in Scotland for media contempt of court and the first and only person to be imprisoned for ‘jigsaw identification’; further notes the inequality in Scots law which sees him treated more punitively as a civil prisoner than if he were to have been convicted of a criminal offence; calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward secondary legislation to address this inequality and further calls on the Scottish Government to consider the request by the Craig Murray Justice Group and the international whistleblowing community for the release of Craig Murray on compassionate grounds.
I feel sick at the thought of Craig being held prisoner – especially now that Covid19 has reached the Edinburgh prison where he’s being held. I feel sick at the rotten, deep cavern into which Scotland has disappeared. And I feel sick at the thought of Nicola Sturgeon and her vile cabal who have engineered the whole horrific situation. Something good has to happen soon. Please.
Covid has been around in Scottish Prisons since last year there is nothing new in that at
all , try and get properly informed
https://www.scotsman.com/news/crime/first-inmate-scottish-prison-dies-covid-19-2535551
I noticed Colin’s remarks this morning. It seems he missed the point.
The Legal “profession” must be so proud of their new standing in Scotland.
Craig Murray is an innocent man whom only spoke the truth.
Let’s have your thoughts… Scotland.
Thx BB.
I refuse to believe that an early release could not be executed if the political will existed. Sturgeon will pretend that she must remain at arms length. It is absolute bollocks of course. The Legal fraternity are probably begging her to save them from the continued embarrassment of this judgement and civil case imprisonment.
A disgusting ongoing petty punishment and I know who I blame for every day Craig sits in that cell.
I agree with you TheSNPLeftMe, there are things that should be happening (citizen release) that are not happening right now. If there is the political will, there is a political way to see Craig return to normal life and most importantly his family. The current Scottish Gov under the power and control of NegativeSturgeon do not appear to neither wish nor want for this to happen, for their own personal agendas.
Craig Murray should be and should have remained a free man.
The people of Scotland remain sovereign.
Scotland has us.
Ahm away for a walk doon the east coast of where I am, cheers aye.
As has been stated many times , it is abhorrent and despicable that the justiciary are condoning this egregious use of legal powers by FAILING to take action against one of their own who has brought disrepute and condemnation upon a once world revered temple of justice and legality
IMO To target a once renowned elderly diplomat for the heinous crime of exposing the spurious claims made against a former FM who was found innocent of all charges , under the auspices of a specifically unidentified claim of jigsaw identification whilst simultaneously ignoring and condoning repeated contemptible deliberate breaches by supposed reputable hacks is nothing short of reprehensible and disgusting
No , it wasn’t me that missed the point at all, Covid was in Saughton since last year as you were shown, only YOU yourself stated otherwise.
You also said “Nicola Sturgeon and her vile cabal who have engineered the whole horrific situation” there isn’t any truth in that either, Craig Murrays situation only exists because of Craig Murray himself , try looking outside your bubble for openly widely published information on that single issue. While the Salmond Trial was indeed a shambles that never should have happened in the first place thanks to SNP incompetence , SNP hubris and Yes Movement infighting Craig Murrays incarceration was wholly of His behaviour and in thinking he was smarter than the whole Scottish Legal System the truth is that Craig Murray really isn’t that smart at all but he is good at making you think otherwise. It takes an extra pecial type of Grifter to claim being near destitute about 2/3 years back when being sued for Libel then sometime later be able to buy a £600K home for cash. Take some time to think about that.
Then of course you can show us where the jigsaw pieces he revealed. I mean you are outside our bubble and so knowledgeable and so much smarter than the rest of us.Please send the passages in his blog that you state categorically are jigsaw identification and were all Craig’s own fault.
Take your time now.
“it is abhorrent and despicable that the justiciary are condoning this egregious use of legal powers by FAILING to take action against one of their own who has brought disrepute”
“One of their own” ???? The Craig Murray Judgement was made by THREE of Scotlands Senior Judges NOT “one” , the problem here is that you have been deliberately duped. Maybe you even paid good money to get duped time after time after time ? No wonder the Indy Movement is in such a mess.
If you continue to be offensive to other posters, you will be blocked. Keep you typical unionist abuse fir elsewhere here it will not be tolerated. Final warning.
Exactly, Robert T.