IFC NewsList  -  November 2001

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11 27 01 - Political Status REVOKED, POWs Cut Off from Outside World

11 24 01 - Riot Squads at Portlaoise

11 07 01 - Irish POW Takes Abuse Case to Irish High Court

 

Subject: Political Status REVOKED, POWs Cut Off from Outside World

Date: Tuesday November 27, 2001

As of this past Friday November 23rd, Republican POWs at Portlaoise Prison have been totally shut off from the outside world, including their immediate families; and have had all terms of political status completely revoked.

The Republican POWs at Portlaoise have been beaten, strip searched, and had all items removed from their cells. They have no heat, no electricity, no medical assistance, and only a plastic pot to relieve themselves in. All visits, telephone calls and letters have been cancelled for the next 2 months. They are on 23-hour lockdown and are allowed out for one hour at the discretion of the prison government. 

These medieval punishments are the result of a peaceful group protest by the 40+ Republican POWs on E2 wing last Friday evening, in response to the prison government's refusal to allow one of the men temporary compassionate leave to visit his seriously ill child in hospital. This refusal comes on the heels of the repeated denials to compassionate leave to other Republican POWs with critically ill relatives, and the recent death of POW Kevin Murray after a prolonged period of medical  neglect in the prison.

Peaceful protests have been staged before at Portlaoise, but not since the days of the Civil War has this Free State prison seen so violent and rash a response by the prison government. Early reports from the prison indicated that it was the decision of an intoxicated prison governor that led to the unleashing of the riot squad into the prison wing, resulting in the hospitalization of one prisoner. That prisoner has now been returned to Portlaoise, his condition and identity still unknown. 

A detailed update of these barbaric developments follows below from Marian Price; Chairperson of the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association.

Ongoing protests are being held by the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association outside of the prison; and will continue as this emergency situation persists. Information follows below regarding upcoming protests at the Free State Embassy in London. 

The Irish Freedom Committee

www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

P.O. Box 11417

Chicago IL 60611

saoirse@irishfreedomcommittee.net

© The Irish Freedom Committee NewsList - IFC Updates

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(Statement by Marian Price, Chairperson- The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association;

 Monday November 26 2001, 9:00 PM):

 

"The following is a run down on the current situation in Port Laoise Prison. 

On Friday 23rd November a Republican Prisoner in the gaol was refused temporary release to visit his sick child who had been hospitalised earlier in the week. The men on the wing decided to have a protest at this continued discriminatory treatment being meted out to Republicans.

They refused lock-up on Friday night and attempted to hold a peaceful protest by sitting down outside their cells. Deputy Governor O’ Keefe came on to the wing in a state of intoxication and threatened the men that he would send in the riot Squad if they didn’t do as he said. (This is in stark contrast to the way previous protests of this nature have been handled.) There was a standoff for some time and then true to his word the governor sent in the riot squad. The men were attacked and battened into their cells. Then each cell was opened one at a time, Each man was taken out strip-searched, his cell was stripped and then he was returned to the cell. This was all carried out with considerable force resulting in one prisoner having to be taken to an outside hospital not to mention the injuries of those who weren’t given treatment. The men have been locked-up ever since in cells without toilet facilities and only the use of a plastic pot. The heating andelectric has been turned off also. These men are now in stripped cells with no heat, no electric and no medical assistance. The authorities are releasing little if any information about the situation and as yet the Families have been unable to find out the name of the man hospitalised.

We do know that the men have been further punished with 14 days loss of remission (bear in mind some of these men are remand prisoners- so much for innocent until proven guilty) and 60 days “loss of privileges”. This entails no visits, no letters, no phone calls, no shop or as the Justice Department like to put it “ no contact with the outside world for two months”. The men will be locked in their cells for 23 hours everydaywith 1 hrs exercise” weather permitting.” This punishment will cover thewhole Christmas period, so not only are these men’s families, especially their children, denied a father at home they now will have no contact whatsoever with them. It beggars belief that this treatment is being  meted out by an Irish government against it’s own citizens. I’ve heard of some harsh treatment in prisons but this is in a class of its own. Maghaberry Prison has also been refusing prisoners compassionate parole this week. 

Kieran Mc Laughlin’s young grandson is at present in hospital with a terminal condition, the child has very little time left, Kieran’s daughter and wife are keeping vigil by his bedside day and night, and still he was refused even a few hours to visit.

We in IRPWA have already held a protest outside Port Laoise (Sunday 25th    November) and we will be intensifying our campaign in the coming days to demand humane treatment for these Republican Prisoners. We all must ensure that the torture and persecution of these men stops immediately.

All right-thinking people will recognise the brutality being used here.

- Marian Price

Chairperson, The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association

http://geocities.com/thirtytwocounty/irpwa.html."

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= Notice =

A PROTEST PICKET WILL BE HELD OUTSIDE THE IRISH EMBASSY IN LONDON ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 1st COMMENCING AT 2.30 PM.

THIS PROTEST IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN PORTLAOISE PRISON FOR THE LONDON IRISH COMMUNITY - WHO ARE BEING DENIED INFORMATION BY THE BRITISH MEDIA. 

ASSEMBLE OUTSIDE THE IRISH EMBASSY - 17 GROSVENOR PLACE LONDON - (NEAREST UNDERGROUND STATION HYDE PARK AT 2.30 PM) 

FURTHER DETAILS FROM PATRICIA ON - 0792 9318547. 

Organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Committee - London.

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Subject: Riot Squads at Portlaoise

Date: November 24, 2001

 

The Irish Freedom Committee has learned that riot squads were sent into the Republican wing at Portlaoise prison last night, sending one POW to hospital with severe injuries. Prison authorities have cancelled all visits and have refused to give families any details on the condition of their loved ones.

The Republican wing at Portlaoise refused lock-down last night, in protest to the ongoing campaign of discrimination against Republican POWs, following yesterday's rejection of an application to temporary leave by a prisoner whose child was sick in hospital this week. The POWs have taken similar action in the past, and previously prison authorities have handled the situation sensibly. This time, however, it appearsthat directives have been given from above to go in very heavy-handed.

A statement to follow from the Portlaoise POWs will be posted here shortly.

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Wednesday November 07, 2001

Irish POW Takes Abuse Case to Irish High Court

Irish Republican POW Danny McAlister is today due in the Irish High Court for a long awaited judicial review into the persistent mistreatment he has received over the course of the past year and a half at the hands of the Dublin Justice Department.

Last year, Danny McAlister fought a long and protracted battle to be granted temporary leave to visit his dying father. In an act of what can only been seen as wanton cruelty, the Dublin Government granted McAlister permission to see his dying father, and then subsequently refused it, a total of eight separate times over the course of the next few weeks. On one occasion McAlister was actually brought to the gates of Portlaoise prison with his suitcase and handed a bus ticket; only to be told there by prison guards that there had been a mistake, "we thought you were a provo". After several weeks the father finally passed away, while POW McAlister awaited yet another permission for temporary leave. The family was eventually forced to pursue legal efforts to obtain a temporary leave to allow McAlister to bury his father.

In December of last year, Danny McAlister again applied for a temporary compassionate leave to visit his ailing mother, and his brother who was very ill with acute leukemia. His request was once again overturned, and on January 1st of this year the 46-year old McAlister embarked on a hunger strike in order to be allowed to see his ill mother and brother. 

After 3 weeks without food, the Dublin Justice Department capitulated and agreed to allow him a compassionate leave. As was to be expected, this promised leave was postponed by the Dublin Justice Department repeatedly in the following months; but never granted. In September Danny McAlister's brother took a turn for the worse, and several individuals outside the prison, including his brother's doctors, appealed to the Dublin Justice Department to allow McAlister the promised leave to see him before he passed away. True to form, the Dublin Government granted the permission for McAlister to finally visit his brother only a few hours after the notification of his death had been received.

It bears noting that compassionate leave has been frequently and freely granted to other so-called republican prisoners several times over the past year. Leave to attend christenings, holy communions, and other family events have been unreservedly handed to prisoners who have individually or collectively acknowledged support for a revived Stormont government, a firmly partitioned Ireland, and willful and treasonous surrender-- all terms clearly outlined in the 1998 Treaty. POW McAlister has been singled out, for reasons unknown, by the Dublin Government's Justice Department. The persistent refusal to compassionate leave in such extreme cases can only be seen as torture.

While no favorable verdict is expected in today's judicial review, the hearing represents a major case for all Anti-Treaty Republican prisoners. Just how far can the Dublin Government continue to go in denying basic human rights, and hard-won Political Status, to Irish Republican POWs held in Free State jails?

The Irish Freedom Committee calls on all Irish activists and human rights advocates to please call and write the Dublin Justice Department today and make your voice heard. Let the Dublin Government know that this repeated and unnecessary torture of individuals in the care of their own institutions is barbaric and cruel in the extreme, and is in direct violation of the European Human Rights Convention, Geneva Convention directives on the humane treatment of prisoners of war, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Please write a short letter to The Dublin Justice Minister at the address below and let your voice be heard! A sample letter is below, or you may copy the text and sign it yourself.

We will post an update on the results of the hearing as soon as we are able.

Go raibh maith agat;

The Irish Freedom Committee

www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

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John O'Donoghue, T.D.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

72-76 St. Stephens Green

Dublin 2, Ireland

fax: (from US) 011 353 1 661-5461

tele: (from US) 011 353 1 602-8202

email: minister@justice.ie

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To Justice Minister John O'Donoghue, T.D.;

Compassionate leave is a time-honored practice long granted to political  prisoners in Irish jails. Irish Republican POW Danny McAlister has lost two family members within one year, as he waited while your offices repeatedly granted and then denied his leave. In the case of his brother's recent death, I am aware that your offices granted Danny's leave only after the death notification was received.

I am writing to request why the Dublin Justice Department has singled out this man for such inhumane, cruel and abusive treatment? Has the Irish Government chosen to abandon its commitment to the European Convention of Human Rights? The repeated promise and then refusal of compassionate leave to Danny McAlister in the instance of not one, but two consecutive family deaths; can only be seen as torture.

The favor of a reply is requested.

Very sincerely;

_______________________

(your name/address here)

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PLEASE WRITE TO IRISH POWs! Go to www.irishfreedomcommittee.net for more information.

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