June 2007: Nearly a decade after we all thought this matter had been resolved, Róisín is back in the news, once again facing extradition to Germany on decade-old charges. Please visit www.friendsofroisinmcaliskey.info to find out how you can lend your support to Róisín.

Please note, as this page has been dormant for nearly 10 years, some of the off-site links may no longer be active. We will be working to get links updated as resources are found.

Róisín McAliskey has returned home to her Coalisland home for an emotional Easter reunion with her family after a 16-month detention in British custody.

A near-tearful Bernadette McAliskey yesterday said her daughter was "recovering well" from the ordeal while her granddaughter, 10-month-old baby Loinnir, was "in great health".

"They're both coming along fine. All they want to do is to recover from their experience and get on with their lives," said the former mid-Ulster MP.

Read more about this incredible news!

Who is Róisín?

Róisín McAliskey in 1992

The 26 year old daughter of Irish activist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Róisín was accused of attempted murder, stemming from an IRA mortar attack on a British army barracks. Despite overwhelming evidence placing her at home in Ireland during the period in question, and despite being pregnant, she was arrested, subjected to heavy interrogation, and then forced to suffer deplorable conditions in prison in England. She faced extremely poor health throughout her pregnancy, and was denied proper prenatal care until three days before she gave birth while under armed guard. Róisín's baby girl, who weighed 5lb 13oz, was given the Gaelic name of 'Loinnir'. As Bernadette McAliskey, the baby's grandmother, described, "Loinnir is a ray of sunshine," she said. "It is a very specific type of sunshine, it is the sunlight as it is filtered through dark clouds." On June 3, after months of international outcry, Róisín - who had never been formally charged with a crime - was finally granted bail by a High Court judge, enabling her to be transferred to a special mother and baby unit in a psychiatric hospital. British Home Secretary Jack Straw had the power to decide whether or not to allow her extradition to Germany. On March 9, 1998, Straw said the medical evidence in Róisín's case meant extradition would be "unjust and oppressive", and a Home Office spokesperson said Róisín was now free.

• Letter from Róisín
  
• Róisín's Alibi (an interview with Bernadette McAliskey)

• Independent investigation into Roisin McAliskey case

  
  

  • San Francisco and Berkeley CA passed resolutions in support of Róisín's case.
    

  • Briefing Paper from the Britain & Ireland Human Rights Centre, prepared 29 February 1997 (large file with a lot of material on Róisín's case)
    
    Plain-text version of briefing paper

  • Pat Finucane Center has extensive archive of files/articles about Róisín

  • Find out how Róisín's case developed

  • Róisín Fact Sheet

News and Updates

Róisín McAliskey leaving the hospital

The Roisin McAliskey Justice Campaign hot-line: (415) 522-8725 News updates News and interviews from Radio Free Eireann Check newsgroups about Róisín's case Human Rights Watch Amnesty International to highlight Róisín McAliskey's case

International Connection!

• Der Fall Róisín McAliskey (Information in German)
  
• Róisín McAliskey dará a luz esposada en una cárcel británica (Spanish article)
  
• Rettferdighet for Róisín! (Norwegian site)