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| Gerry Adams, Leader of Sinn Fein, Is Released Without Charges | Gerry Adams, Leader of Sinn Fein, Is Released Without Charges |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| LONDON — Gerry Adams, the leader of the Irish political party Sinn Fein, was released from police custody without charge on Sunday after four days of questioning into a gruesome 1972 Irish Republican Army murder of a widow with 10 children. But the police will hand over a file of potential evidence against him to British prosecutors, police officials said. | LONDON — Gerry Adams, the leader of the Irish political party Sinn Fein, was released from police custody without charge on Sunday after four days of questioning into a gruesome 1972 Irish Republican Army murder of a widow with 10 children. But the police will hand over a file of potential evidence against him to British prosecutors, police officials said. |
| Mr. Adams, 65, turned himself in for questioning on Wednesday and was arrested; his detention was extended for 48 hours by a judge after a police application. He was released shortly before 6 p.m. local time from the police station in Antrim, Northern Ireland. | |
| The police are working on allegations made in the testimonies of Irish Republican Army dissidents, now dead, that were handed over under subpoena by Boston College, which had collected them. | The police are working on allegations made in the testimonies of Irish Republican Army dissidents, now dead, that were handed over under subpoena by Boston College, which had collected them. |
| Mr. Adams has been accused over the years of membership in the I.R.A. and of being the group’s commander in Belfast, Northern Ireland; he was accused in these testimonies of having ordered the abduction, murder and secret burial in 1972 of the widow, Jean McConville, who was suspected of being an informer for the British Army. Her body was found in 2003, and the police considered hers a “cold case” until the testimonies emerged. | Mr. Adams has been accused over the years of membership in the I.R.A. and of being the group’s commander in Belfast, Northern Ireland; he was accused in these testimonies of having ordered the abduction, murder and secret burial in 1972 of the widow, Jean McConville, who was suspected of being an informer for the British Army. Her body was found in 2003, and the police considered hers a “cold case” until the testimonies emerged. |
| Mr. Adams denies all the accusations. And though he has long been the leader of Sinn Fein, once the I.R.A.'s political wing and now a prominent political party, he has never admitted to membership in the I.R.A., unlike his deputy, Martin McGuinness. | Mr. Adams denies all the accusations. And though he has long been the leader of Sinn Fein, once the I.R.A.'s political wing and now a prominent political party, he has never admitted to membership in the I.R.A., unlike his deputy, Martin McGuinness. |
| Prosecutors could choose to prosecute Mr. Adams later, even just on charges of being an I.R.A. member. But that charge alone after so many years would be widely seen by Sinn Fein and its allies as political interference. | Prosecutors could choose to prosecute Mr. Adams later, even just on charges of being an I.R.A. member. But that charge alone after so many years would be widely seen by Sinn Fein and its allies as political interference. |
| Mr. Adams, a former member of the British Parliament from West Belfast and a current member of the Irish Parliament, the Dail, from County Louth, has led Sinn Fein since 1983. The party is running well in the Irish Republic ahead of elections this month for local councils and for the European Parliament. | Mr. Adams, a former member of the British Parliament from West Belfast and a current member of the Irish Parliament, the Dail, from County Louth, has led Sinn Fein since 1983. The party is running well in the Irish Republic ahead of elections this month for local councils and for the European Parliament. |
| The police and officials from Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland have all rejected accusations from Sinn Fein and Mr. McGuinness that the arrest of Mr. Adams was political in nature and stemmed from a “dark side” of the current Police Service of Northern Ireland. | The police and officials from Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland have all rejected accusations from Sinn Fein and Mr. McGuinness that the arrest of Mr. Adams was political in nature and stemmed from a “dark side” of the current Police Service of Northern Ireland. |
| But, not surprisingly, the arrest has produced tension within the power-sharing government of Northern Ireland. The first minister, Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party, speaking of “republican bullyboy tactics,” accused Sinn Fein of trying to blackmail the police. | But, not surprisingly, the arrest has produced tension within the power-sharing government of Northern Ireland. The first minister, Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party, speaking of “republican bullyboy tactics,” accused Sinn Fein of trying to blackmail the police. |
| He called Mr. McGuinness’s threat to reassess Sinn Fein’s support for the police if Mr. Adams was charged “a despicable, thuggish attempt to blackmail” the police. The Democratic Unionists agreed to share power with Sinn Fein so long as the latter accepted the authority of the reformed Ulster Police. | He called Mr. McGuinness’s threat to reassess Sinn Fein’s support for the police if Mr. Adams was charged “a despicable, thuggish attempt to blackmail” the police. The Democratic Unionists agreed to share power with Sinn Fein so long as the latter accepted the authority of the reformed Ulster Police. |
| Unusually on Sunday, a Sinn Fein junior minister, Gerry Kelly, was allowed into the Antrim police station to visit Mr. Adams. Mr. Kelly, a former member of the I.R.A., said that Mr. Adams believed that his detention was politically motivated and had been “mishandled,” but that the police had treated him well. | Unusually on Sunday, a Sinn Fein junior minister, Gerry Kelly, was allowed into the Antrim police station to visit Mr. Adams. Mr. Kelly, a former member of the I.R.A., said that Mr. Adams believed that his detention was politically motivated and had been “mishandled,” but that the police had treated him well. |
| Mr. Adams said the police had also asked about “open source material,” including books he had written over the past 40 years, and had shown him old photographs of the conflict, Mr. Kelly said. | Mr. Adams said the police had also asked about “open source material,” including books he had written over the past 40 years, and had shown him old photographs of the conflict, Mr. Kelly said. |