We, the undersigned Communist and Workers parties attending the 18^th Congress of the Communist Party of Greece, Athens on 18^th/22^nd February 2009, condemn the arrest of Comrade Sean Garland, former President of the Workers’ Party of Ireland and current member of the Central Executive committee.  He was arrested outside the Party offices in Dublin on Friday 30^th January 2009, at the request of the U.S. authorities who are seeking his extradition to the U.S. The request for the extradition was signed by Condoleezza Rice in the final days of the Bush Administration.

 

Comrade Garland was first arrested in October 2005 while attending the Party congress in Belfast.  This was a blatant attempt by the U.S. authorities to take advantage of the unjust and controversial extradition treaty between the U.S. and British governments which would have afforded him little or no legal protection.  After having been granted permission to return to Dublin for urgent medical attention, after much consideration Sean Garland decided not to return to Northern Ireland.

 

Sean Garland has lived openly and has conducted his political activities and engagements in public for the last 3 years.  He made his address known to the Irish authorities.  He is 75 years old and is in serious ill health, suffering from a number of medical conditions.

 

Sean Garland has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He has received strong support from a wide spectrum of political, trade union and public figures concerned at the manner in which he was treated.  Sean Garland is being subjected to a relentless and vindictive campaign of persecution by the U.S government.

 

We condemn this blatant attack on a leading member of The Workers’ Party of Ireland who has pursued a struggle against imperialism for almost 60 years.  We express our solidarity with the Workers’ Party of Ireland and with Comrade Sean Garland in the fight against extradition to the U.S.

 

We demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of these extradition proceedings on political, legal and humanitarian grounds and call on all communist, workers parties and progressive organisation to send messages of support to the Workers’ Party at wpi@indigo.ie and the Campaign to Defend Sean Garland at defendseangarland@gmail.com

 

1. Communist Party of Albania
2. Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism (PADS)
3. Communist Party of Armenia
4. Workers Party of Belgium
5. Brazilian Communist Party
6. New Communist Party of Britain
7. Communist Party of Canada
8. Colombian Communist Party
9. Communist Party of Cuba
10. Socialist Workers Party of Croatia
11. Progressive Party of the Working People – AKEL Cyprus
12. Communist Party of Denmark
13. Communist Party in Denmark
14. Communist Party of Estonia
15. French Communist Party
16. Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
17. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
18. Communist Party of India
19. Tudeh Party of Iran
20. Communist Refoundation Party, Italy
21. Party of the Italian Communists
22. Workers Party of Korea
23. Socialist Party of Latvia
24. Communist Party of Malta
25. Party of the Communists Mexico
26. New Communist Party of the Netherlands
27. Communist Party of Pakistan
28. Palestinian Communist Party
29. Party of the People, Panama
30. Peruvian Communist Party
31. Communist Party of Poland
32. Communist Refoundation, Puerto Rico
33. Romanian Communist Party
34. New Communist Party of Serbia
35. Party of the Communists of Serbia
36. Communist Party of Spain
37. Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
38. Party of the Communists, Catalonia
39. Communist Party of the Soviet Union
40. Communist Workers Party of Russia (RKRP)
41. Party of the Communists of Russia (RPC)
42. Syrian Communist Party
43. Communist Party of Sweden
44. Communist Party of South Africa
45. Communist Party of Turkey
46. Union of Communists of Ukraine
47. Communist Party of Venezuela
48. World Peace Council
49. World Federation of Trade Unions
50. Communist Party of Portugal

To confirm:-

Communist Party of Ireland

Communist Party of Britain

Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine