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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Petition for jailed fan's release | Petition for jailed fan's release |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A petition campaigning for the release of jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields has been presented to the European Parliament in Brussels. | |
| Shields was convicted of the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria in 2005 and jailed for 10 years but has always maintained his innocence. | |
| MEP Arlene McCarthy presented a petition complaining about the case's handling by the Bulgarian authorities. | |
| The Bulgarian government has said the UK officials could free Shields. | The Bulgarian government has said the UK officials could free Shields. |
| The Bulgarian justice minister has said it is up to the UK government when he is released as he is now serving his sentence in the UK. | The Bulgarian justice minister has said it is up to the UK government when he is released as he is now serving his sentence in the UK. |
| Another man had previously admitted carrying out the attack, but later withdrew his confession. | Another man had previously admitted carrying out the attack, but later withdrew his confession. |
| There are two miscarriages of justice in this case, an innocent man is in jail and the culprit is still at large Pete Weatherby, Shields' lawyer | |
| Arlene McCarthy, MEP for the north west of England, won backing from the European Parliament's Petitions Committee to take up the case with the Bulgarian authorities. | |
| A formal petition was presented to the committee in Brussels by Ms McCarthy and human rights lawyer, Pete Weatherby. | |
| Ms McCarthy said: "We are taking this petition because we are frustrated at the failure of the Bulgarian Judicial Authorities to engage with Michael Shields' legal team. | |
| 'Innocent man' | 'Innocent man' |
| "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 and now we are formally presenting a petition to the Parliament." | "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 and now we are formally presenting a petition to the Parliament." |
| She added: "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 added: "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." |
| Mr Weatherby said: "The rule of law doesn't operate unless the relevant authorities engage with their own legal processes and those international instruments to which they have signed up. | |
| "There are two miscarriages of justice in this case, an innocent man is in jail and the culprit is still at large." | "There are two miscarriages of justice in this case, an innocent man is in jail and the culprit is still at large." |