Heavy gang treatment for Belfast republican

Prominent north Belfast republican Mairtin Og Meehan has said he had to receive medical treatment following an assault by the PSNI police last Friday.

The incident took place after he stopped his car to talk to a taxi-driver friend who was being harassed by the PSNI on the Antrim Road and allegedly ended in a bruised Meehan facing a coercive Special Branch recruitment bid.

“On Friday afternoon, my sister, niece and I were travelling along Belfast’s Antrim Road when I noticed a friend being questioned at the side of the road,” Meehan said.

“He’s frequently harassed by the British Police; therefore I stopped my car and walked a short distance to find out if he was alright. I was informed that the unreformed RUC were seizing his vehicle because they claimed he had no insurance.”

The Ardoyne activist said the person in question was a taxi driver “so it was plain to see that the Peelers were intent on preventing him from working that particular day.”

After clarifying the situation, two PSNI members searched him under anti-terror legislation before he was allowed to return to his own car.

“I climbed into the driver’s seat and was attempting to close the door when a handcuff was suddenly placed around my wrist and my arm was dragged. I was then ordered to leave the vehicle as I was under arrest for assault.

“After I got out, my two wrists were cuffed before I began receiving a number of kicks to my legs and ordered to lie on the ground. I was also being choked and punched repeatedly at the time by a second RUC/PSNI member.

“When I fell, they dragged me to their armoured Land Rover, parked a short distance away. Before three Peelers threw me onto the floor of the Jeep, were one kept punching me in the chest.”

He said leg restraints were also placed on him despite his protests that he suffered from a serious heart condition.

He said he then called for medical assistance because he was finding it difficult to breath. Ambulance staff later arrived and after some initial treatment, attempted to remove Mr Meehan to hospital. However, the PSNI refused this and instead took him to Antrim Road Barracks in Belfast.

Mr Meehan alleged that he was then the subject of a recruitment bid by PSNI Special Branch.

“After being finger-printed and photographed, I was taken to an interview room, where two Special Branch men were awaiting. The Spooks ‘notified’ me that a Loyalist killer gang had been actively tracking my movements for sometime.

The agents said that they would end the targeting, if he helped jail three Belfast republicans, Meehan said.

They also claimed that Meehan would receive a “substantial financial reward if I agreed to “co-operate”. If not, they would pass on his details to the gang.

“When they left I demanded from the desk Sergeant who they were and who allowed them to speak to me, but I was ignored,” he said. “This disturbing development yet again exposes the nefarious tactics used by British Crown Forces to frame Irish Republicans for lengthy imprisonment and death.”

‘ILLEGAL’ MARCH

A sizable republican parade took place in Lurgan on Sunday despite a confrontation with the PSNI police.

The rally set off from the Kilwilkie estate in support of the Release Martin Corey campaign.

The sixty-year-old from Lurgan has been held in Maghaberry since last April after his release licence was revoked.

Sentenced to life imprisonment in December 1973, he spent the next 19 years in jail and was finally released without signing anything, in June 1992.

Without warning, on April 16th last year, he was taken back into custody. No reason was given to Martin at the time or since his return to jail.

His supporters have said he is being held hostage by the British government because of his political beliefs.

Cait Trainor of the Committee for the Release of Martin Corey said: “Martin Corey has now been held as a political hostage for nine months. During his time incarcerated the British government has yet to issue Martin with an acceptable reason for his detention, stating only a generic ‘risk to security’ mantra,” she said.

The PSNI insisted they could take action against anyone involved, claiming they had been attempting to contact the organisers ahead of the march.

Urgent Appeal