Republican News · Thursday 16 April 1998

[An Phoblacht]

Roisín McAliskey returns home

After a 16 month ordeal in British custody Roisín McAliskey has finally returned home to County Tyrone with her ten month-old daughter Loinnir. This comes after the British government was forced to bow to international pressure and fears about Roisín's health to halt German extradition proceedings against her.

Arrested on 20 November 1996, Roisín was taken to Castlereagh and interrogated for six days while she was pregnant before being flown to Holloway prison in Britain. She was moved from Holloway to Belmarsh high security prison and then back to Holloway. Finally as her condition deteriorated Roisin was moved to Maudsley psychiatric hospital.

While imprisoned Roisín gave birth to her daughter and independent medical reports due to be published later this month are expected to confirm that she developed osteoporosis that went undetected by prison authorities. Her mother Bernadette McAliskey said, ``she may walk with a limp for the rest of her life. The last time I saw her as a free person she was not in this state, somebody is responsible.''

In welcoming her daughter and grand-daughter home Bernadette asked for Roisín's ``privacy as a private citizen to be respected.'' She also confirmed that their solicitors are planning to sue the British government for neglect.


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