Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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863. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the growing international campaign for the release of a person (details supplied); and his views on the campaign calling on President Obama to grant the person, who is in poor health, clemency before he leaves office. [26304/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of this case. This person was convicted of the murder of two FBI agents following a confrontation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1975. He was arrested in Canada the following year and extradited to the United States where he was tried in 1977. A campaign has been mounted over the years seeking his release and the case has been raised in this House more than once.

I am also aware that this case has been reviewed by the US court system on several occasions and that his conviction has been consistently upheld. The US justice system, in line with established procedure, has also considered a number of requests by him for parole and has declined his applications.

As the Government of Ireland has no locus standi on this case I do not propose to make recommendations to the US Federal Government in relation to the case.