Degrading treatment in Maghaberry prison

In a statement on July 8 Republican Sinn Féin POW Department, Belfast condemned totally the treatment of Tommy Crossan, a sentenced Republican prisoner in Maghaberry jail.

The statement said: "Tommy has been on lock up since his sentence was handed down on June 29, only being allowed out of his cell for one hour a day.

"As a Republican POW he has refused to do prison work and has been subjected to degrading behaviour by prison officers who have isolated him from other Republican prisoners.

"Tommy has made a number of requests to have meetings with prison authorities to protest against his treatment with no such meetings forthcoming. Tommy wants to be on a wing with other Republican POWs as he was before sentence, but this has been refused. He is now the only Republican POW on a wing with three LVF prisoners and ordinary prisoners.

"An ordinary prisoner sharing the cell with Tommy is let out of the cell every morning around 8.15am. When Tommy trys to get out he is forced back into the cell and on lock up.

"Although Tommy is one of a number of Republican prisoners sentenced on the 29th of June and all have refused prison work, Tommy is the only one that has been isolated and on lock up.

"Republican Sinn Féin POW Department calls for political status to be restored as a right to Republican POWs.

"Tommy Crossan has suffered a number of attacks on his person by loyalists; political status as a right is the only way to assure Republican prisoners are safe from attacks.

Support the POWs four demands:

1. Segregation
2. Recognition as a group
3. The right to have their own spokespersons
4. A prison wing of their own.

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Fight for political status must continue

The Republican Sinn Féin POW Department, Belfast, in a statement on July 12 said that on Thursday, June 29 "a number of men from West Belfast were sentenced on a political charge to ten years imprisonment.

These men, although sentenced under a political charge will not be treated as political prisoners. With the signing of the Stormont agreement political status as a right to Irish political prisoners was lost."

The statement continued: "Republican Sinn Féin has been the only voice trying to highlight the loss of political status both at local and national level.

"Down the years of Irelands struggle our people have stood by our POWs and have given them unquestioned support. Political status was hard fought for and won a number of times down our history and no more so than in the present phase of the freedom struggle.

"In 1972 when the British set out to criminalise Republicans, Billy McKee and his comrades through hunger strike forced the Brits to concede political status.

"Again in 1976 the British tried once more to criminalise Irish Republican POWs. The POWs refused to be criminalised: it would be the start of the blanket protest that would lead to the Hunger Strikes of 1980 and 1981, which were to see the darkest days ever witnessed in this long struggle.

"Ten brave men died in the H-Blocks; the loss both inside and outside the prison was great.

"Once again Irish political prisoners are being criminalised, but this time the forces against them are greater than ever, with groups within the Republican/nationalist community signing up to and playing a part in Stormont. Any talk of political status is an embarrassment to them.

"To our people we would ask: are you willing to turn a blind eye to the struggle for political status? Our POWs need your support. Will you turn your back on them?

"The national papers refuse to put statements on political status in their pages. There is no surprise there. Our local community papers have followed their lead. Why?

"The POWs need to be heard. They need to have their case for political status highlighted. Never before have our people been willing to let our POWs be criminalised. We don't believe they will stand by and let it happen now. To criminalise our POWs is to criminalise the freedom struggle.

"Support the POWs. Stand up and be heard. Don't let history repeat itself. Demand political status now."
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Loyalist killers have release licences revoked

British supremo in the Six Occupied Counties, Peter Mandelson, had applied to revoke the release licences of two LVF killers, a court heard on July 21.

Stephen McClean (30) and Noel McCready (33), both from Banbridge, Co Down were due to be released from Long Kesh on July 28. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment last February for a double murder in the Railway Bar, Pontzpass, Co Armagh in 1998.

The application to revoke the licences followed an incident in which the two were charged with attempted murder while on home leave in July prior to their release.

In the High Court in Belfast on July 21, it was heard that McClean and McCready were charged along with three other men with attempting to murder a man who objected to them removing UVF flags. The victim was beaten with flag poles studded with nails, receiving at least 22 blows. His injuries included fractures of his leg, arm and jaw as well as head and facial injuries.

The incident occurred on the same day that McClean and McCready had received home leave. The court heard in a letter from the head of the Six County prison service that Mandelson had applied to the Sentence Review Commission to revoke the two men's early release declarations.

Illustrating the conditional nature of the early release scheme and the withdrawal of political status the letter ended: "If the declarations are revoked, the prisoners will cease to be eligible for release on July 28 and will be dealt with as ordinary life sentence prisoners".

Denying the two men's applications for bail, the judge commented on the LVF/UVF feud, saying he was aware that "these two organisations are in dispute and in my opinion it would be improper to grant them bail".

A third man, Philip Harrison (25) also from Banbridge, who was charged with the same offence was granted bail of £2,500.
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Debate in Birmingham

A successful debate entitled "A United Ireland: which way forward" took place on July 15, 2000 in Birmingham, England.

The meeting heard speakers from Workers' Power and Republican Sinn Féin, discuss the crucial issue of a United Ireland and the strategies towards achieving this.

Brendan Magill, who spoke on behalf of Republican Sinn Féin, called on Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to cease using the name Sinn Féin and to leave the name to those who will continue to strive for a 32-County Ireland free of British rule and occupation.

Both Workers Power and Republican Sinn Féin agreed on the objective of achieving a 32-County democratic socialist Republic.

Republican Sinn Féin believes, with James Fintan Lalor, that the national question and achieving a British withdrawal will be the engine that draws the social question in its train.

However there were differences in how their strategies will achieve this. Workers Power believes that before a United Ireland can be achieved socialism must at first and foremost be established within the hearts and minds of the Irish people.

Another issue raised during the meeting was one of concern for the social-economic situation of "how to achieve a United Ireland economically"? Throughout the debate, members of Republican Sinn Féin promoted the existence of the strategic documents of ÉIRE NUA and SAOL NUA, which were at the disposal of the audience.

The debate was well received by the many people in the audience, which included members of Republican Sinn Féin, Workers Power, Socialist Outlook, Workers Action and the Troops Out Movement.

During the meeting the current status of the Republican POWs was brought to the attention of the audience, in particular the plight of Tommy Crossan and fellow Republicans in Maghaberry prison was highlighted. Tommy along with other Republicans was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on political charges and yet they are being denied political status.

Workers Power informed Republican Sinn Féin that at present one of its members, Kuldip Bajwa, is currently imprisoned in HMP/YOI Highpoint in Suffolk for his political activities. The Comhairle Ceantair of Republican Sinn Féin (England, Scotland and Wales) wish to express their solidarity with Kuldip and the other prisoners and support their release. In the case of Republican prisoners we stress our continuing support in their fight for political status.
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