LITHUANIA: Prosecution asks for 16 years of jail for Irish citizen Michael Campbell accused of buying arms for the Real IRA

Record ID: 783253

  • Title: LITHUANIA: Prosecution asks for 16 years of jail for Irish citizen Michael Campbell accused of buying arms for the Real IRA
  • Date: 9th July 2011
  • Summary: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (JULY 8,2011) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF VILNIUS DISTRICT COURT BUILDING SIGN ON BUILDING 'VILNIUS DISTRICT COURT' IRISH CITIZEN MICHAEL CAMPBELL BEING LED INTO COURT ROOM POLICEMAN IN COURTROOM POLICEMAN'S PISTOL VARIOUS OF CAMPBELL TALKING TO LAWYER CAMPBELL VARIOUS OF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR LOOKING THROUGH PAPERS PROSECUTOR AND LAWYERS LOOKING AT DOCUMENTS EMPTY JUDGES' SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRISH CITIZEN MICHAEL CAMPBELL, ANSWERING REPORTERS QUESTION "DO YOU STILL DENY CHARGES?", SAYING: "Of course." (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, GEDGAUDAS NORKUNAS, SAYING "It was put to the court to sentence Michael Campbell for 16 years of imprisonment at the correctional facility." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, GEDGAUDAS NORKUNAS, SAYING "A penalty was proposed for possession of a large amount of explosives and weapons and seeking to smuggle them, as well as aiding a terrorist organisation." LITHUANIAN COAT OF ARMS (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) CAMPBELL DEFENCE LAWYER, INGRIDA BOTYRIENE, SAYING "Our client maintains his position, that he was provoked by the special services." LITHUANIAN FLAG ON COURT BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lithuania, Lithuania
  • Country: Lithuania
  • Reuters ID: LVAD38ES65LRBFAG23VDZMNA4B77
  • Story Text: A prosecutor asked a Lithuanian court on Friday (July 8) to imprison an Irish national Michael Campbell for 16 years for seeking to buy arms in the Baltic state for a Northern Irish republican militant group, the Real IRA.
    Campbell, 38, was arrested in a sting operation, involving Lithuanian, Irish and British secret services in January 2008 after attempting to buy arms and explosives, the prosecutor said.
    "It was put to the court to sentence Michael Campbell for 16 years of imprisonment at the correctional facility", Gedgaudas Norkunas, the prosecutor of Vilnius region, told journalists after the hearing.
    "A penalty was proposed for possession of large amount of explosives and weapons and seeking to smuggle them, as well as aiding a terrorist organization", he added.
    The Real IRA killed two British soldiers in 2009, the deadliest act of violence in the province for more than a decade. The prosecutor said earlier the evidence has shown Michael Campbell was acting on the orders of his brother Liam Campbell, a member of the Real IRA who was found liable, in a civil trial, of involvement in the Omagh bombing in 1998 that killed 29 people.
    Lithuania seeks extradition of Liam Campbell to be tried in the Baltic state.
    Michael Campbell himself has denied the Lithuanian court he was a member of Real IRA, and said he was provoked by the British secret services to come to the Baltic state.
    "Our client maintains his position that he was provoked by the special services," Ingrida Botyriene, Campbell's defence lawyer told journalists after the hearing.
    "Of course," Campbell told journalists when asked if he still denies all charges. The defence plans to present its position in September, and the final court's verdict is expected in October.
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