Longford prisoners picket
Over 150 people from Longford and Sligo/Leitrim gathered in
Longford town centre on Saturday 26 July in support of Republican
POWs in Belmarsh whose conditions of imprisonment have led to
protests from many human rights groups.
Two men from the Longford/Roscommon constituency are currently
held in English prisons. Patrick Kelly, from Ardagh, Co Longford
is on remand on conspiracy charges and John Crawley, Roscommon,
has recently been sentenced to 35 years.
Protestors from the Patrick Kelly support group, Longford and
Saoirse members gave out leaflets and took names for petitions in
a two hour demonstration. Edel Kelly, wife of Patrick Kelly, and
Owen Carron thanked all those who took part. Edel Kelly said it
was a great source of strength to her, her children and Patrick's
aged parents to see people out on the picket line. She believed,
she said, they would have to fight all the way for open visits
with her husband and also for the other POWs.
Owen Carron said they were also campaigning for the repatriation
of all republican prisoners to jails in Ireland pending their
eventual release. Carron said that this new peace process must be
anchored. Everyone wanted it to succeed, he said and the best way
of building confidence for nationalists and republicans was not
only the immediate granting of humane conditions for our POWs but
the release of all prisoners who were in jail due to the
conflict. In a peace situation there would no longer be an excuse
for holding hostages and prisoners of war.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)