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>IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST >www.irishfreedomcommittee.net >----------------------------- > >Subject: Maghaberry PRO - "We will not be >criminalised!" >Date: 04 13 03 > >The following is the first of two statements issued >today from >Republican Prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol. > >The Irish Freedom Committee® >www.irishfreedomcommittee.net > >************************************************ >13 April, 2003 > >PRO POW's >Maghaberry Gaol >Aontroim. > > >A chairde, a chomrádaithe beannachtaí chugaibh go léir. > >I would like to thank you for giving us this >opportunity to contribute >and for allowing us a voice which is being denied >elsewhere. We send >greetings to our comrades in all other gaols at home >and abroad. (An >Phoblacht Abú) > >There are many issues which affect republican >prisoners post 'Good >Friday Agreement'. As a direct result of that >agreement, Political >Status that was fought and dearly paid for was ended >by the British >Government. They along with the NIO and the Prison >Service say they no >longer recognise POW status. This is a blatant >falsehood borne out by >the fact that they go to extreme lengths to keep us >apart from each >other. So 'it's back to the future' for Republican >prisoners- the battle >continues- our first goal being 'Segregation'. > >Segregation for Republican prisoners is probably the >most important and >imperative issue facing us at the minute. In the past >month alone there >have been eight 'death threats' (that we know about) >from Loyalist >prisoners against Republicans, two actual assaults and >many insults and >confrontations. The prison authorities perpetuate such >an environment by >ensuring republicans are spread very thinly throughout >the gaol- we are >never allowed to be in the ascendancy. A typical >example is a wing of 24 >prisoner-no more than 2 republicans are placed on the >wing while there >can be up to10 or 11 loyalists on the same wing. The >rest of the numbers >are made up with criminals and many of these can be >loyalist in outlook. >So you can see the scenario. Not only would >republicans need eyes in the >back of their heads and nerves of steel every time we >come out of our >cells but our guardian angels would need to be on 24 >hour alert as well. > >As we continue to point out the very real danger of a >fatality looms >large everyday. The procrastinating of the British >Gov., NIO and the >Prison Service left us with no alternative but to >raise the tempo of our >struggle for segregation. As a result of action taken >the prison service >reacted by 'locking down' the gaol for 5 days, a >number of prisoners >were assaulted by screws in the course of cell >searches and nearly 200 >prisoners were strip-searched. One political prisoner >from South Down, >who was assaulted, was himself charged with petty >offences that were >fabricated against him in an attempt by screws to >counteract his claim >of assault. > >Most other prisoners were prevented from removing >'legal papers' from >cells during searches or to be present during searches >(which is in >contravention of their own law lords ruling) No doubt >the screws had a >good read at our private 'legal papers' uninterrupted. >Prisoners were >then refused exercise, visits, legal hearings, such as >'remand legal >visits' or phone-calls, or letters to or form the >gaol. > >All in all the whole five days showed up the prison >service for what it >is, an oppressive vindictive arm of the British >Government used to try >to break the resolve and spirit of Republican POW's in >particular and >the Republican Struggle in general. However, as >Republican prisoners in >the past, we will not be criminalised- we are asking >for nothing more >than we are entitled to as prisoners of war. > >As yet the Prison Service and the British government >have refused to >move on the issue. We believe the current political >situation on the >outside has a lot to do with this refusal. In short, >the 'coalition of >the willing' (British Gov., Sinn Fein leadership, >SDLP,Unionists) and >other quislings cannot afford to have an official >admittance that there >are still Republican Prisoners of War, it would not >sit cosy with their >media friendly image of normalisation of the North. > >British judges' blatant sectarianism in relation to >Bail hearings has >become more and more apparent in the past year. In a >recent case a >well-known UDA leader, caught in possession of a >loaded small arm and >loose rounds for another weapon, was promptly given >bail. The only >concern the judge had was the loose rounds and the >fact they did not fit >the said gun. No thought for the poor sod who was >going to get the >rounds that weren't loose. Since 1998 few republican >prisoners have >received bail while countless loyalists are granted it >despite the >severity of the charge against them. Perhaps some >investigative >journalist from those highly independent newspapers or >TV programmes >would like to enlighten us as to the reasons. Don't >hold your breath! > >An Phoblacht Abú! >Is mise le meas, > > PRO >Maghaberry gaol. > >*********************************************** >DEMAND THE RIGHT FOR POLITICAL STATUS TO IRISH >REPUBLICAN POLITICAL >PRISONERS. > > >1. THE RIGHT TO SEGREGATION >2. THE RIGHT TO RECOGNITION AS A GROUP >3. THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR OWN SPOKESPERSON >4. THE RIGHT TO A WING OF THEIR OWN > >For more information go to the IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE >at >www.irishfreedomcommittee.net >************************************************ >WRITE TO IRISH POLITICAL PRISONERS!! >http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/bb3/Irish >Republican POWs > >************************************************ >© The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates > >Permission to re-publish any article from this post is >granted provided >signature is attached and the active link back to this >site is included. > >To Subscribe to this list send an email to >IFCnews-subscribe@topica.com >with >SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. > >To view Archives, follow HELP instructions or email >deemail@msn.com for >assistance. >************************************************

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