Liverpool FC Forum

[112-1077774096]

i know our goverment are loathe to get involved in another countries judicial process (and rightly so, imagine of bulgaria tried to intervene in ours) but surely more pressure can be applied to the european union aimed at keeping them out, the country should do more, (but to be honest to most people in the UK he is just another scouser so feck him, thats the attitude i am sad to say of most people)

anyway i found this in the liverpool echo, its a disgrace, they are taking the p1ss now


JAILED Liverpool fan Michael Shields said today he felt he was being held to ransom by the Bulgarian government.

The 20-year-old engineering student spoke out as it was revealed the Bulgarians had backtracked on the deal for his return to the UK.

It had been agreed with the Foreign Office that he could serve his remaining prison sentence in this country once a percentage of his £90,000 fine had been paid.

Michael Shields' family from Wavertree have already paid more than the 30% agreed and committed themselves to paying monthly installments of £8,000 in the future.

But now the Bulgarians are insisting on the full fine being paid before they allow Michael's transfer.

In a message sent through his family, Michael Shields said today "Me, my family and my government were promised that I could return to the UK when some of the fine was paid.

"To hear that promise has been ignored just puts my parents and me through more suffering.

"It feels like I'm being held to ransom."

Riverside MP Louise Ellman, speaking only hours after she asked Tony Blair during Prime Minister's Question Time to make fresh appeals to the Bulgarians on behalf of the Shields, said "I'm appalled.

"I will be calling on Minister for Europe Geoff Hoon to intervene straight away.

"There was a clear understanding that when an agreed portion of the fine was paid and there was a commitment to pay the rest monthly, the barriers preventing Michael coming home would be removed."

Liverpool Labour leader Joe Anderson, who is leading the campaign to free Michael Shields, said "The Bulgarians are behaving in an inhumane way and playing repugnant mind games with Michael and his family."

Michael Shields was originally jailed for 15 years after a Bulgarian court convicted him of attempted murder after an attack on waiter Martin Georgiev.

On appeal, the sentence was cut to 10 years but he was ordered to pay £70,000 in fines and compensation, which rose to £90,000 with interest.







reading the part where it says his move to england was agreed with the foreign office turns my stomach, so what are the foreign office going to do about?

probably feck all

[stmichael]

absolutely shocking.

just a reminder that the blackburn game tomorrow is "michael shields day". all proceeds from sales in the club shop will go towards the "free michael shields campaign".

[HacksawJimDuggin]

That's fantastic to hear that the club are supporting Michael. I would assume that once he returns to the UK then justice will prevail and the real guilty party brought to justice! I would hope so anyway!!

[RUSHIE#9]

TBH this is fucking disgraceful. For a current EU member to do this just wouldn't be tolerated so why should a country wanting to join be allowed to treat people like this. It may have been okay when they were hidden behind the iron curtain, but this is 2006 and any civilised country has a duty to provide people accused or convicted of crimes  a). A fair & trial b). reasonable human rights. In my eyes Michael Shields has been denied both of these basic rights. It's about time this cr@ppie government pulled their fingers out of each others arses and started to pressure the bulgarians a bit more and at least get him back to an english open prison (although no doubt he'll end up in fookin Walton or strangeways wiv mass murderers and paedo's).

[LFC #1]

Once/If he's brought back to England, the English government should just release him and say fuk off to the Bulgarian authorities who have been absolute tw@ts from day one.

Why should such a backward country be allowed in the EU? major reforms are needed IMO before it should even be considered. Don't go to Bulgaria.

[Rimetto_]

i know our goverment are loathe to get involved in another countries judicial process (and rightly so, imagine of bulgaria tried to intervene in ours) but surely more pressure can be applied to the european union aimed at keeping them out, the country should do more, (but to be honest to most people in the UK he is just another scouser so feck him, thats the attitude i am sad to say of most people)

the goverment would get involved if he was a muslim i bet. looked at what they did for the suspected terrorist from guatanamo bay.

At Michael is definately innocent this country makes me sick.

[Lando_Griffin]

Sickening.

Just absolutely sickening. 

[clik]

this shiTTy government would rather help out foreign nationals than one of its own, an absolute disgrace i am ashamed to call myself english sometimes but tbh honest how can you be proud of the country of your birth when all it does is you time after time



FREE MICHAEL SHIELDS NOW

[jonnymac1979]

There are going to be fucking parties all over Liverpool when this lad is freed.  I'll definitely be toasting drinks to him when it finally happens.

[murphy0151]

There are going to be fucking parties all over Liverpool when this lad is freed.  I'll definitely be toasting drinks to him when it finally happens.

Me toooo.

Id send the S.A.S. in me as hes been held captured, hes basically a hostage and the people who are holding him keep upping the ransom.   Send them in, get the lad out for fuccccksake.

[66-1120597113]

Thats a fuc.kin disgrace!
The government don't care simply after all to them he's just a working class fella...a normal fella!

This sh.ite makes me ill to my stomach.When you look around the establishment is bending over backwards to accomodate the likes of Abu Hamza in jail.That cu.nt gets treated better than i do by the state...3 meals a day and a new hook every month.

While a decent innocent guy from Liverpool rots in a foreign jail.
All this on the news at the minute about overcrowding in jails?They probbably aint got the room for the poor lad unless he's prepared to share a cell with a terrorist.

Its all wrong and a lot has been said and done to try and make government listen.The working class voice loud as it is falls on deaf ears yet again.
Tony Blair should stand up in cases like this and remember that the working class put him where he is!

[Ciggy]

What makes it worst is the fella thats supposed to be brain damaged is back working in the restaurant.
Money grabbing lying b@stards.

[Kharhaz]

I know i'll kick myself for saying it, but surely the Thatcher government wasnt this bad??

[Rimetto_]

the thatcher government was bad but at least she took no from anyone. She always stuck up for the people of this country.

Blair seems to just be a yes man and before he knows it he'll say yes and give the country away to some arab buisness man thinking he was coming to buy a passprt but ends up with the uk

[red37]

this in todays echo:

Shields to come home Oct 18 2006

By Greg O'Keeffe, Liverpool Echo


JAILED Michael Shields is finally set to return home to Britain.

The 20-year-old's desperate family have borrowed enough money to pay off his entire £90,000 fine.

The money will be paid to the Home office next Monday and wired to the Bulgarian government to allow Michael's transfer to a British jail.

He is serving 10 years for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter, a crime he insists he did not commit.

Michael said: "I'm just trying to stay optimistic and I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the people back home. Their help has been amazing.

"I've been trying to keep my head down and get on with it but I'm worried about my mum and dad and how their health has suffered."

Michael, who was 18 when he was jailed, said: "I get my time in the little gym every day, which is something to look forward to, and the rest of the time I try to keep occupied by reading.

"I'd never been a big reader before all this, but now I get through a book a week. I like sports biographies and I'm enjoying Steven Gerrard's at the moment.

"Robbie Fowler's book was great too, and Ricky Tomlinson's made me laugh.

"There's also a room in here with one TV which we are allowed to watch for a while every day. It usually has Bulgarian footy matches on and I like watching them.

"The prison staff let me receive some cards on my birthday, and I was able to get a visit from my mum that week."

Louise Ellman said: "I think it is a magnificent effort to have raised the money. I hope it will pave the way for him to be home soon."

Michael's fine of £70,000 rose to £90,000 with interest, which had to be paid in full, and is well beyond the resources of his family.

A fundraising campaign was launched to help pay that, and his family put their life savings into the fund.

*********************************************

no thanks to the government then