STORMONT Minister Gerry Kelly has revealed he received a 'royal prerogative of mercy' after his escape from prison in the 1980s while serving a jail sentence for an IRA bombing.
Mr Kelly, who was arrested for the Old Bailey bombing in London in 1973 and had been sentenced to two life terms plus a 20 year sentence, was incarcerated in Britain.
He went on hunger strike, demanding political prisoner status and requesting to be returned to the North of Ireland. After 60 days, he was transferred to Antrim's Maze Prison.
Mr Kelly was one of 38 prisoners to escape in a mass breakout from the prison in 1983, fleeing to the Netherlands.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback this week, the Sinn Féin politician admitted he had received a letter from the Queen when he was recaptured there in 1986.
During on debate on this week's report on the controversial on-the-runs (OTR) scheme, Mr Kelly was challenged by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister.
When asked if he had ever received a letter of royal pardon from the Queen, Mr Kelly confirmed that he did – but that it was not under the terms of the OTR scheme.
“I have, but not as an on-the-run,” he said. “I was arrested in Holland and the Dutch quashed all my sentences, and the British agreed to get me back here.”
“The Dutch said they would not extradite me unless the British quashed the sentences.”
The result, he said, was a royal prerogative of mercy from Britain allowing him to travel back to the North of Ireland.
The OTR scheme report was released this week by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in the House of Commons and the British Government admitted the scheme may not have been “lawful”.
The scheme mean that letters were issued to republicans, stating that they were not wanted by the PSNI or any British police force.
John Downey, the man who stood accused of being involved in the 1982 Hyde Park bombings, was acquitted last year after his defence used the letter of pardon as a loophole.
The report found that the OTR scheme may have “distorted” the legal system.
