release frank kern...release frank kern fha keane, an irish socialist republinan. is in brixton jail...

Frank was in the past often threatened by the Irishpolice for his work in exposing their brutality. Ina letter to a friend from Brixton Jail he states:

"The Free State police are intent on gettingme back into their jurisdiction and it looksas if they are even going to the extent offabricating evidence to do so. Now I knowfor a fact that they couldn't possibly convictme for Fallon 's death simply because I wasn'tthere. However they think they have a trumpcard by accusing me of murder. Any othercharge under the present circumstances couldbe fought off fairly confidently. My solicitor,Mr. Birnberg, says that if I am to have anychance of beating this extradition thing then Imust have evidence to the effect that I am andhave been active in political circles in Ireland.. If you could do anything in thisrespect I would be grateful because nothingwould give me greater pleasure at presentthan to give Dublin Castle and Company a goodkick up the arse."

Send all donations to: Frank Keane Defence Fund,c/o Joe Quinn,4 Nightingale Lane,London, N.8.

Release Frank KernFHA KEANE, an Irish socialistrepublinan. is in Brixton jail await-ing extradition proceedings. He ischarged with killing a policemanearned Fallon during a bankrobbery, said to ire the work ofmilitant republicans, wkich tookplace in Dublin six milks ago.Keane says it Is a franw up,

organised by the notorious specialpolitical police arm of DublinCastle, to 'nail' a fighter againstIrish capitalism and Britishimperialism.

Within hours of the robbery thepolice issued the names andaddresses of seven men from whomthey wanted •help' with theirinquiries. All seven are militantsocialist republicans

No warrants were Issued therebyshowing that the police,to say theleast, didn't have any clear evi-dence. Indeed they could hardlyhave hail time to even begin theinvestigation.However, they did have a lint

of names of people they wantetittr'get'. Amongst those named itsSean Morrissey, who had be aneditor of the Irish Trotskyistmaga-zine Workers' Republic. Anotherwas Joe Dillon, whose past expel,ience of the Irish political polleesheds a flood of light on the currentcase and the normal methods of theIrish police.

In 1966 Dillon was framed by theSpecial Detective Unit (politicalpolice) of Dublin Castle for robberyand given a five year sentence. Aleft wing member of the IRA movingtowards marxism, he was a naturaltarget for the special police.Before his arrest he had be..a

offered bribes by the SpecialBranch to inform on the IRA. Whenhe refused, he was told that 'theBranch' would "get him". Andthey did.He was arrested for an attrapted

robbery that had taken place nixMonths earlier. In an identificationparade none of the witnesseiidentified Dillon. Nevertheless ayear later he was tried and givenfive .years.

An international campaignwas organised to demand Dillon'srelease. Eventually the sentencewas reduced to three years.

The same people who framedhim then are attempting it again,now for murder — which in Irelandstill carries the death penalty forkilling a policeman.

In order to extradite FrankKeane, they will have to present aLarge part of their 'evidence' to theOld Street Magistrates Court.They are not above fabricating

such 'evidence'. It is part of theeveryday work of the Irish politicalpolice.

With the present politicalcrisis in the 'Republic', the gov-ernment desperately needs scape-goats — and they need to annihilategroups and individuals who want tocombine a militant non-sectariansocial policy with aggressive anti-itnperialism.

Keane was victimised in thepast. When he was 'named' by thepolice, he wrote a letter to theIrish Times. He denied knowledgeof the killing, but refused to helpthe police.He explained that he had beenharried and persecuted in the past

for his politics. The police hadpreviously attempted to frame himon a robbery charge and for attemp-ting to burn down a Fianna Failheadquarters.He was jailed and ill-treated

on the robbery charge and finallyJust released. -h-Socialists In Britainaye a dutyto aid Frank Keane. Help keep

Frank out of the hands of thebrutal !HMI police. We must letthe Dublin government know that ithas the labour movement to reckonwith, not only in Ireland but hereas well.Trade union, IS. Labour Party,

Young Socialist, Communist Partyand YCL branches, and all revolu-tionary socialists and republicans,must send messages andresolutions in support of Keane andthe other political prisoners, to theIrish Embassy, Mount Street,London Wl. Pickets outside theIrish Embassy will be organised.Contact: London -.46443*.Manchester - 061-445

Keane Defence Committee.

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FRANK KEANE DE FENCE FUND

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