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HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EACH PERSON REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, RELIGION OR POLITICS
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Michael Shields
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Free Michael Shields!
MICHAEL SHIELDS will serve out the rest of his prison sentence in Britain after judges in Bulgaria agreed to reduce his 15-year prison sentence by five years but refused to order a full re-trial for his conviction of attacking a barman. Send your messages of support for Michael.
Click Here to post a comment of Support and read others posts
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On behalf of Michael, we his family would like to thank everyone from near and far who have shown both a fantastic level of support and an unwavering belief in our son's innocence. We would like to ask you to take a few moments to do whatever you can to help us in our quest for justice. Whether this be writing a letter to the Prime Minister, or Jack Straw, or your local MP, by signing the petition or anything else you feel may help. All your efforts are very much appreciated. We'd also like to thank everybody for their extraordinary generosity in donating money to assist with our expenses. With your help, we are sure that justice will prevail and that our innocent son will soon be back home where he belongs. Thank you all and God Bless.
- Maria Shields
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 Liverpool Fan, Michael Shields was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime he
insists he did not commit. Aged just 18, barely more than a boy, Michael Shields
is now in a prison cell thousands of miles from his family and friends. Michael’s
nightmare began when he boarded a flight to Bulgaria on the 23rd of
May with a group of friends. On arrival in Bulgaria he took a coach to Istanbul where
he watched Liverpool's Champions League victory on the Wednesday night.
On returning to his Hotel, in the Black Sea city of Varna.
Michael & his friends were in triumphant mood. The Champions
League celebrations had gone really on the Sunday, they had
a few drinks in the town before going back to the hotel and
going to bed at around 3.30am. That night, Bulgarian waiter
Martin Georgiev, 25, was attacked and kicked by a group of
Liverpool fans, whilst he was trying to break up a brawl.
As he lay on the ground one of the group was said to have
hit him over the head with a paving stone.
The attack left Martin Georgiev the father-of-two with a three-inch
hole in his skull and part of his brain exposed. Michael Shields
and three other Liverpool fans, Anthony Wilson, Bradley Thompson
and Graham Sankey, were arrested
the following day in connection with the incident. Graham
Sankey, 20, an electrician from Anfield, was released following
a brief interview whilst Shields, Wilson and Thompson were
detained in a holding cell.
Michael Shields, from Wavertree, was later charged with attempted
murder whilst Wilson, 19, from Edge Hill, was charged with
hooliganism and possession of cannabis and was detained to
stand trial with Shields. Thompson was charged with hooliganism,
he received a suspended sentence. Subsequently Graham Sankey
has released a statement through his solicitor, David Kirwan,
confessing that he was the attacker. He admitted to the crime
after his conscience was raised after reading press reports
of Shields experiences in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Justice
Following this confession, Michael, his family and his friends must have expected
him to be on the plane home, but in yet another
cruel twist the Judge refused to accept the confession as
admissible evidence. Michael's family, having already spent £20,000, will now
have to raise £71,000 to cover the court costs.
Song For Michael
The Michael Shields campaign has attracted interest from many people. We are fortunate that
two talented people have created a song and have allowed us
the rights to publish this song in order to raise funds to support
Michael's campaign.
Click here for more details.
Donations
The Criminal Information Agency.com and the Shields family, invites our readers to donate
to the Michael Shield legal fees fund. The Criminal Information
Agency.com does not have access to any money donated to this cause.
Donations made go directly into a paypal account linked to
the bank account of Michael Shields. Please support the Shields
family and make a donation.
Campaign Office
The Free Michael Shields campaign office have just opened their new
website.
It is staffed by volunteers and can be found at 3 Holland
Place, Liverpool. They can be contacted by phone on 0151 260
7165 or by email.
Please show them and Michael your support.
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Michael Shields - November 2008
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This post contains important information on how you can help and show your support to Free Michael Now! Plus upcoming plans ahead of the Judicial Review on December 4th - including a three minute mosaic showing and 'Free Michael Now' chant at the beginning of the West Ham game on December 1st, at Anfield.
From the Shields family and Spirit Of Shankly:
Free Michael Now!
Michael Shields is innocent, found guilty by a Judicial System that has no hint of the ideas of Justice and Fairness in its processes, and remains incarcerated in the UK, having been transferred from his Bulgarian Jail on payment of the £90,000 compensation to the victim of a terrible crime.
But Michael is a victim too. A victim of a miscarriage of justice. Arrested and forced to wear a t shirt he hadn't been wearing that night for an identity parade. Handcuffed to a radiator, just yards away from passing witnesses. Having his head forcibly shaved to make him look more like the stereotypical 'thug'. Michael was found guilty and despite many eye witness accounts, and a signed confession from another man, Michael remained locked up. He was transferred to the UK after the compensation was paid, following donations and support from Michael's family and friends and members of the public, many of them Liverpool fans aware it could easily have been them.
Throughout all this, the UK government have done little to support Michael. Despite Bulgaria's insistence that he does have the power to do so, Jack Straw claims he is unable to free Michael. So the family have taken the next step. On Thursday 4th December, Michael's legal team and his family will hear the High Court in London carry out a Judicial Review of Jack Straw's decision to refuse a pardon for Michael.
Ahead of the Judicial Review, Spirit Of Shankly, the Liverpool Supporters Union, will be helping the fight to have Michael, our member number 1, freed. We will be supporting the family in this continuing fight. A number of initiatives have been planned in the run up to 4th December, and what will hopefully be a decision that finally sees Michael brought back home to his family.
On Tuesday 25th November 2008, a coach filled with mothers who empathise with Maria Shields, Michael's mother, will set off for London where a press conference will be chaired by Louise Ellman, MP. Maria Shields will then hand in a letter for Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister's wife, at 10 Downing Street asking her to support the campaign to free Michael. This will be followed by a demonstration outside the Ministry of Justice at 11 am. Any mothers wishing to take part should email admin@spiritofshankly.com to register their interest, although places are limited.
A delegation from the Shields' family and Spirit Of Shankly will go to Blackburn to raise the issue of Michael's case in Jack Straw's constituency, and draw on more support.
On Monday 1st December at the West Ham United game, this is the opportunity for all of us, to stand with Michael, and his family, in their bid to have him freed. A banner will be held up at the front of the Kop, saying Free Michael Now, during You'll Never Walk Alone. After this has finished, fans on the Kop will be asked to hold the mosaic up 'Free Michael Now', until the 3rd Minute of the game, whilst chanting 'Free Michael Now'. The 3 minutes is symbolic, a minute for each of the years Michael has spent locked up. The players will also be visually showing their support for the campaign.
SOS are looking for volunteers to help set this up the mosiac in the afternoon before the game, please email admin@spiritofshankly.com if you are able to help.
On Thursday 4th December 2008 when the Judicial Review takes place, Michael's family and supporters will travel to the High Court in London, for what we all hope will be a landmark decision that will see Michael rightfully freed.
There are also other ways to get involved. Sign up to the Free Michael Shields group on Facebook (click here) and show your support or contact your local MP to highlight the case to them (http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/commons/l/).
Spare a few minutes for a young lad who has lost three years of his life.
Free Michael Now!
The Shields Family & Spirit Of Shankly
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BACK TO THE CAMPAIGNS PAGE
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FREEDOM IS A RIGHT OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IN A WORLD WHERE LIFE IS VALUED AND PEACE MAY FINALLY BE A POSSIBILITY
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Just in case you forgot - read the Universal declaration of Human Rights
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