Ancient Order of Hibernians National President, Sean Pender, has joined the family of Sean Brown at the United Kingdom Supreme Court in London. His presence was in solidarity with their nearly three-decade struggle for truth and justice.
Brown, a 61-year-old father of six and respected GAA official, was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in County Derry in May 1997. Despite mounting evidence of state collusion, his family continues to face legal obstacles in its pursuit of a full public inquiry.
Stated an AOH release: "As the British government challenged the court order requiring that inquiry, Pender reaffirmed the AOH's longstanding support for the Brown family and expressed his dismay at the continued resistance to their demands for accountability."
Following the proceedings, Pender issued the following statement: "I was proud to stand with the Brown family at the UK Supreme Court in London as they appeared in court for the 60th time in their nearly 30-year struggle for truth and justice following the murder of their father, Sean Brown, in 1997.
"It is an affront to both justice and logic that the same British government whose agents were linked to Sean Brown's murder, and whose authorities withheld critical information from earlier investigations, is now seeking to dictate how, and by whom, that murder will be investigated.
"Rather than comply with a court order requiring a public inquiry, the government seeks to direct the Brown family toward the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), a body in which they have made clear they have neither confidence nor trust.
"How can a government whose own agents have been implicated in a murder be allowed to dictate the terms of the investigation into their involvement?
"For two and a half hours, government counsel presented arguments against the inquiry. Not once, in my hearing, did they mention Sean Brown by name. That omission speaks volumes about a process in which legal arguments appear to have taken precedence over the victim and his family.
"This is another painful example of what victims' families have endured for decades: deny, delay, and wait for those seeking justice to die. The Ancient Order of Hibernians has a longstanding relationship with the Brown family, and we have been deeply moved by their courage, dignity, and unwavering determination to uncover the truth.
"I was honored to stand alongside them today. After nearly three decades, the Brown family should not have to continue fighting for the independent public inquiry that Northern Ireland's courts have already ordered. Sean Brown deserves truth. His family deserves justice."
