The North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has called on the German authorities to abandon their latest attempt to extradite Róisín McAliskey, who is wanted over an IRA mortar bomb attack on a British army base.
Ms McAliskey (35) is the daughter of civil rights campaigner and former Westminster MP Bernadette McAliskey.
She was arrested at her home in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, yesterday on foot of a European arrest warrant accusing her of involvement in the IRA bombing of the British army barracks in Osnabrück in Germany in 1996.
As her mother, listened from the public gallery, a lawyer for the German authorities told Belfast Recorder's Court yesterday that she was wanted for alleged attempted murder.
Her extradition was first sought in November 1996. A Bow Street magistrate in London signed the warrant in January 1998, but the then British home secretary Jack Straw vetoed the extradition on the ground of Ms McAliskey's ill health.
Ms McAliskey had been arrested in Coalisland in November 1996 and taken to Holloway Prison in London to await a decision over her extradition to Germany. She was later transferred to Belmarsh high-security prison, then back to Holloway. She gave birth to a daughter in custody.
She returned to Northern Ireland with her then 10-month-old daughter in April 1998 after spending more than 15 months in custody in England. While in prison she was treated for post-natal depression and "deep post-traumatic disorder". Mr Straw halted her extradition, saying it would be "unjust and oppressive" to send her to Germany because of her medical condition.
Yesterday, the German authorities again sought her extradition. Their lawyer, Stephen Ritchie, said she was wanted "for attempted murder in conjunction with the initiation of explosives".
He did not oppose bail, and agreed that "there is an obvious passage of time argument here".
Ms McAliskey's lawyer, Barry Macdonald QC, who said she would challenge the extradition, asked why it had taken until yesterday to issue the arrest warrant. "There's obviously been a substantial delay in the prosecution of this matter," he said.
Judge Tom Burgess fixed the extradition hearing, which must take place within 21 days, for June 6th. Ms McAliskey was released on bail totalling £2,500 (€3,660).
Mr McGuinness urged the German authorities to drop the proceedings.
"Over ten years ago these matters had a more than adequate hearing in a succession of British courts. The arrest of Róisín on foot of an extradition request from German prosecutors will be seen by many as petty and vindictive," he said.
"Róisín McAliskey is the mother of two young children and she has lived openly in her home town in the 10 years since her release from prison in England - the last time that German authorities attempted to have her extradited. She has always maintained her innocence," he added.
"The German authorities should take note of the tremendous progress we have achieved in Ireland in the course of recent years and immediately drop the demand for Róisín's extradition and allow her to return home immediately to her young family.
"Sinn Féin have already spoken to the British government on this matter and we would expect the Irish Government to back calls for Róisín's immediate release," said Mr McGuinness.
