Good Friday Agreement: Gerry Kelly and Billy Hutchinson on prisoner release in 1998

The early release of paramilitary prisoners as part of the Good Friday Agreement was one of the most controversial aspects of the deal signed 25 years ago.

In the lead up the agreement, republicans and loyalists were heavily involved in negotiations, with both putting an emphasis on early prisoner release.

Speaking to BBC News NI’s Brian Rowan in 1998, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly and Billy Hutchinson, of the Progressive Unionist Party, both reject the idea of a commission to evaluate the issue of prisoner release.

Both instead urge the UK government to get on with it via the ongoing negotiations.