SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said that in order for innocent victims of the Troubles to receive justice, Sinn Féin must end their opposition to IRA personnel being arrested for historical crimes.
Mr Eastwood was commenting after Sinn Fein politicians called for the immediate release of party member John Downey.
The 66-year-old was arrested by Garda detectives at his Creeslough home in Co Donegal on Monday on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.
He is wanted by the PSNI in the North over the murders of two UDR soldiers in Enniskillen in 1972.
Downey appeared at the High Court in Dublin on Tuesday and was remanded in custody. He is to apply for bail on Thursday at the Central Criminal Court.
Said the Foyle MLAd: “As reiterated in our consultation response to the NIO on ‘Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past’, the legacy process must involve truth, justice, accountability and acknowledgement.
“There are many families who have waited a long time for this, and Sinn Féin in their defence of John Downey has undermined that process.
“How can we expect to see victims of state violence watch soldiers prosecuted for crimes if Sinn Féin continue to defend the trials of IRA personnel?
“By doing so, they risk discrediting the process that innocent victims and survivors are relying upon to understand what happened to their loved ones,” added Mr Eastwood.
