Michael Shields fight is taken to the European Parliament

May 27 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

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THE fight to bring justice for jailed Liverpool FC fan Michael Shields will be taken to the Euro-pean Parliament in Brussels today.

Liverpool’s Labour Euro MP Arlene McCarthy, who has been campaigning for Shields since he was first arrested, in May, 2005, will present a petition to the Petitions Committee at 11am.

She said: “Two Champions League finals have passed since that fateful final in May, 2005, between Liverpool and AC Milan when Michael was first arrested, yet Michael Shields is still in prison waiting for justice to be served on his case.

“We are taking this petition because we are frustrated at the failure of the Bulgarian judicial authorities to engage with Michael Shields’s legal team.

“Many people, including senior members of the European Parliament, have already intervened with the Bulgarian authorities and taken an active interest in Michael’s case, including President Borrell and leader of the Socialist Group Martin Schulz MEP, and now we are formally presenting a petition to the Parliament.

“The Bulgarians’ failure to respond to any of the letters or legal documents formally presented by Michael’s legal team is a dereliction of their legal obligations under the treaties to engage in judicial co-operation.”

She will be accompanied by Shields’s human rights lawyer, Pete Weatherby. He will argue that the rule of law doesn’t operate unless each country abides by both its own legal processes and international law. In this case justice has not been served, he will state.

The pair are part of a team who have relentlessly attempted to win the release of the Edge Hill 21-year-old, convicted of hitting Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev with a paving stone after the 2005 European Cup final.

The Bulgarian government has refused to reopen the case, but president Georgi Parvanov has hinted he would not object to the UK issuing a pardon now Michael is serving his sentence in Britain.

And it is understood that Justice Minister Jack Straw could be within 10 days of finding out from Queen’s Counsel whether he could issue a pardon.

Liverpool Labour leader Joe Anderson, a relentless campaigner for Shields, said: “The petition is about keeping up pressure on everybody and to inform European MPs of the miscarriage of justice in a member country.

“I’m off to see Michael this Wednesday and I’m hoping to hear from Jack Straw within the next 10 days about the legal validity of a pardon.”

Mr Straw decided to seek the legal advice after Bulgaria refused to reopen the Shields case despite new evidence of a miscarriage of justice.

The continued press-ure has already seen Shields moved to the category C prison HMP Haverigg in Cumbria and campaigners are hoping he could be moved to an open prison and qualify for home release.

richarddown@dailypost.co.uk