A high-powered team of defense lawyers who represented the "13" remaining revolutionary prisoners in Grenada are gloating with satisfaction following the release of three of the Gang who were charged with the 1983 murder of leftist Prime Minister Maurice Bishop in a bloody palace coup.

The defence team was led by QC Edward Fitzgerald of England and included Keith Scotland, Ruggles Ferguson, QC Howard Hamilton, Rajiv Persaud, Cajeton Hood, Anslem Clouden, Derick Sylvester, Earl Whitter, Jacqueline Samuels-Browne, Celeste Jules, John Heath and Daniel Khan.

The three prisoners - Major Christopher Stroude, Captain Lester Redhead and Lieutenant Cecil Prime were released a week ago at the end of eight days of a re-sentencing hearing that was ordered by the London-based Privy Council.

The law lords had earlier found that the original sentences imposed on the men of death by hanging and reduced to life imprisonment until the end of their natural lives were unconstitutional.

Fitzgerald told the media that although the defense team would have liked all 13 prisoners to be released they welcomed the ruling of high court judge, Justice Francis Belle to give the remaining prisoners a fixed term sentence rather than a life sentence.

The QC disclosed that the ten other prisoners will not be appealing the court's decision since they are due to be released in three years and two months.

"...This is an important step forward. They (the 10) have a sight of freedom, they have a real date (for) freedom and the others are free," Fitzgerald said. Those who are to remain at Richmond Hill prison for the time being are former deputy Prime Minister, Bernard Coard, General Hudson Austin, former Mobilisation Minister,  Selwyn Strachan, soldiers, Liam James, Calistus Bernard, Ewart Layne, Leon Cornwall, and Dave Bartholomew, as well as Colville "Kamau" Mc Barnette and John Ventour.

All the others with the exception of Bernard were members of the Central Committee of the New Jewel Movement (NJM) which is accused of ordering the execution of Bishop, three cabinet colleagues and several supporters at Fort Rupert (George).

The killings were sparked off by a bitter leadership feud among two warring factions within the NJM that seized power on March 13, 1979 in a coup d'etat against the elected Eric Gairy government. The remaining Coard Gang of prisoners were all sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by Justice Belle but due to the time already spent in jail are due to be released in 2010.