| Subject: Parole Protest |
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IFC - USA
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Date Posted: 05:29:07 08/24/02 Sat
TO:
iapl_newsroom32@hotmail.com
Reply-To :
deemail@msn.com
To :
IFCnews@topica.com
Subject :
Ciaran McLaughlin Parole Protest
Date :
Fri, 23 Aug 2002 16:41:11 +0000
IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE NEWSLIST
www.irishfreedomcommittee.net
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Subject: Ciaran McLaughlin Parole Protest
Ciaran McLaughlin has emphasized that he acted alone in his decision not to return to Maghaberry within the short 12 hours leave to attend his grandson’s funeral, granted him by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (see article from Derry News, below). The standard leave allowance to prisoners on the death of an immediate family member is 72 hours. He also has said that he always intended to return to Maghaberry, but took the full requested 72 hours leave in order to grieve with his family, and to protest the totalitarian regime being endured by Republican prisoners at Maghaberry.
Ciaran had applied for and been granted a compassionate release last week, before the baby died, to begin Sunday morning at 6:00 AM. On Sunday night Ciaran was still at Maghaberry, as the two-day wake came to a close. Despite the prior arrangements for the Sunday morning release, the NIPS waited until Monday morning, the day of the funeral, to release him. There can be no reason other than malicious cruelty for the NIPS to have toyed with a grieving man in this manner.
It must be noted that in late June, as the little boy’s condition worsened, yet another application was made for compassionate release so Ciaran could spend a short and final visit with the boy. This appeal was refused in a letter from the NIPS sent to Ciaran at Maghaberry in mid July. The same letter explained that Ciaran’s request to see his elderly and house-bound mother would also be refused, due to the fact that he had not served enough time continuously under his current sentencing to qualify for a home release; and that his mother, despite recently being released from hospital for treatment of an ongoing serious illness, was not ill enough to qualify for his home visit.
Ciaran McLaughlin was sentenced to 18 years on 30 November 2001. He is 46 years old, and by the time he gets out he will have spent 31 years in prison as an Irish Republican political prisoner. He was released in 1994 after spending 13 years in prison in the H-Blocks, and also spent time in Long Kesh when he was 19.
Please send a short card or letter to Ciaran at:
Ciaran McLaughlin
A258 Bann House,
Maghaberry Prison
Upper Ballinderry Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT 28, North of Ireland
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Sympathy cards to the McLaughlin and McMonagle families on the death of baby Kyle can be forwarded from the address below:
The McMonagle Family
C/o The Irish Freedom Committee
P.O. Box 11417
Chicago IL 60611
USA
Bernie McLaughlin
C/o The Irish Freedom Committee
P.O. Box 11417
Chicago IL 60611
USA
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Thank you for your continued support;
The Irish Freedom Committee®
www.irishfreedomcommittee.net
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The Derry Journal
McLaughlin acted alone
August 23, 2002
BOTH CIARAN McLaughlin and the Real IRA have said the Derry
republican prisoner acted on his own initiative when he failed to return to Maghaberry Prison after being granted parole to bury his grandson.
McLaughlin was released for 12 hours on Monday to attend the funeral of his grandson, Kyle.
The prisoner had requested a period of 72 hours which is the norm for deaths in the immediate family but this was refused.
On Monday evening McLaughlin did not return to Maghaberry Prison and was declared unlawfully at large.
However on Wednesday afternoon McLaughlin contacted the Bishop of Derry, Dr. Seamus Hegarty and made arrangements to return to Maghaberry Prison where he is serving a sentence of 18 years.
In a statement given to the 'Journal' McLaughlin said he felt he needed more time to be with his family.
The Derry prisoner said: "After repeated attempts to get my
parole period extended during Monday failed, I took a personal and impulsive decision unilaterally to take the extra time I had requested, hoping at the same time to highlight the harshness of the prison regime being endured by republican political prisoners in Maghaberry at present.
"My intention was always to honour my parole and return myself to prison."
McLaughlin continued: "Having time to reflect on my actions I am concerned that I might unwittingly have called into question the integrity of all those good people who have given freely of their time and resources in an effort to improve conditions for political prisoners in general, this was never my intention.
"On particular I would like to pay tribute to the humanitarian efforts these people have made on my behalf over a period of time in attempting to gain compassionate leave for me to spend time with my grandson."
The Real IRA also issued a statement hitting out at the Northern Ireland Office's response to the death of Ciaran McLaughlin's grandson.
Pathetic
The Real IRA said: "We consider the response of the Northern Ireland Office pathetic after the bereavement suffered by Ciaran and his family.
"The granting of 12 hours compassionate parole is completely inadequate and disturbing as the precedent of 72 hours has already been set."
The dissident republican group continued: "Furthermore, Ciaran was callously denied parole to visit his grandson in the hours leading up to his death.
"Following this tragic turn of events Ciaran, as an individual, decided to register a form of protest and failed to return after that ridiculous period."
The Real IRA continued: "Although we had no doubt that Ciaran would honour his parole and return to the prison, at no time did he consult with nor was granted the approval of the army for his actions."
The group went on to thank all those who had worked on behalf of the prisoner.
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For more information on Ciaran McLaughlin’s continued harrasment and severe physical assault at Maghaberry go to www.irish freedomcommittee.net – type in “Ciaran McLaughlin” at the search box, or go to “POWs” on the top menu bar and scroll down to Maghaberry, and
click on his name.
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