Germany accused over McAliskey
By Eoin O'Broin
The Roisín McAliskey Justice Group has accused the German
government of ``gross and cynical hypocrisy'' following the denial
of bail to her at a court hearing in London last Thursday 12
February.
McAliskey, who is almost seven months pregnant, has been on
remand since 20 November last year. Imprisoned without access to
exercise, she suffers from asthma, a stomach ulcer and
malnutrition and is being strip searched twice a day.
After last Thursday's hearing, Mark McLarnon of the Justice Group
said that senior German embassy officials in London and Dublin
had repeatedly given unequivocal assurances that the German
government did not and would not oppose bail. ``They insisted that
responsibility for the decision to refuse bail rests exclusively
with the British''.
However, shortly after the bail hearing began, the German state's
legal representative Arvinber Sambei declared that she had been
instructed to oppose bail. When the hearing ended, German embassy
officials reverted to disclaiming all responsibility for the
decision.
``Either the statements made by the embassy officials are totally
dishonest and designed simply to diffuse the pressure of public
opinion or the German authorities have already found Roisín
guilty without trial, and are willing to ride roughshod over all
considerations of humanity and justice, while diverting
responsibility to the British,'' Mark McLarnon said.
Mary O'Rourke TD, Fianna Fáil's Deputy Leader visited Roisín
McAliskey last week along with TD Eamon O'Cuiv and added her
voice to the widespread public concerns being expressed.
Gerry Adams described the court decision as ``cruel and
vindictive'' and called for McAliskey's immediate release. ``The
conditions under which she is being held, in particular the
British refusal to provide proper medical care and the inhuman
practice of strip searching her twice a day, is evidence of the
British government's punitive approach to all Irish political
prisoners'', Adams said.
Irish MEP Patricia McKenna and German MEP Claudia Roth tabled a
motion on behalf of the Green Group in the European Parliament
calling on the German authorities to lift their objection to
bail. The motion also demands the British authorities immediately
transfer McAliskey to hospital, provide her with proper medical
attention, and that they remove all threats to shackle her while
she gives birth or to take her baby from her.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice have called on
people to write to the German government requesting that they
withdraw their opposition to bail.
As An Phoblacht goes to press, Tánaiste Dick Spring has called in
the British Ambassador, Veronica Sutherland, to express concern
about McAliskey's case.