Former Foyle MLA and activist Eamonn McCann has hit out at MI5 for their treatment of republican prisoner Tony Taylor.

Mr McCann also called for Mr Taylor's immediate release ahead of a rally to support the Free Tony Taylor campaign in Derry this Sunday.

Mr McCann said: "The Tony Taylor case shows that there’s a long way to go before we can have accountable policing in Northern Ireland.

"'The “evidence' against Tony Taylor came from MI5, an undercover organisation responsible for murders and conspiracies against justice in this part of the world for decades.

"MI5 was directly involved with the Force Research Unit in a series of politically-motivated murders, including the murder in 1989 of Pat Finucane.

"Yet MI5 now has primacy in the North over policing matters which touch on “national security.” And, of course, it decides for itself what is and what isn’t a threat to 'national security.'

"This set-up dates back to the St. Andrews talks in 2006, when it was agreed that MI5 would be the top security agency, and not answerable to the Police Ombudsman, the Chief Constable or the Policing Board.  It was given free rein. That the context in which MI5 had effective power to decide whether Tony Taylor would be put behind bars.

"People Before Profit wants Tony Taylor freed without delay. I brought the case up three times during my relatively brief stint in Stormont. We will continue to campaign on the issue. We call on our supporters to take part in the demonstration for Tony’s release in Derry this Sunday."

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