Arrests at Maghaberry ‘choreographed’

Republican prisoners in Maghaberry jail have condemned the arrest and interrogation of five of their number.

The men were taken from the jail on Wednesday and taken to Antrim PSNI base for questioning on alleged threats made against jailers on the republican landings.

Four of the men are currently being held on the prison’s Roe Four wing, while the fifth was being held on Roe Three.

A statement issued by the republican political prisoners (RPPs) on Roe 4 described the arrests as a “blatant example of political policing and the state’s efforts to silence political prisoners”.

They accused the prison warders of mounting a “choreographed” action to lend credence to the jail administration’s claims of threats against them and intimidate the prisoners into silence. Allegations of threats from prisoners have been used as an excuse for the failure to implement an agreement on prison conditions, originally struck in August 2010.

Tensions have been high after the prison authorities reneged on a 2010 deal to end strip searches and limit the use of controlled movement.

“Prisoners were questioned about Roe 4 statements emanating from the Jail which is clearly a failed effort to scare us from publicising the antics of the Jail Administration,” they said.

“The refusal of Republican prisoners to be broken, our challenges to the Jail regime and the mobilisation of our comrades on the outside are obviously proving to be a challenge to the normalisation narrative.”

The prisoners accused the DUP, Justice Minister David Ford and British Direct Ruler Theresa Villiers of making comments to create a political climate for the arrests.

“The new tactic of political prosecution against RPPs will not silence us,” they said.

“Our resolve today is as strong as that of Republican prisoners who resisted criminalisation in the H Blocks, Crumlin Road and Armagh Gaol. We will continue to resist all repressive measures.”

CAMPAIGNS

Meanwhile, justice campaigns at the jail have continued.

One republican prisoner, Christy Walsh is reported to have embarked on a hunger protest this week in support of his claim that he is a victim of prosecutorial misconduct and a miscarriage of justice.

And the justice for the Craigavon Two committee and songwriter Pol Mac Adaim have together released the song ‘Justice For the Craigavon Two’. The song is an attempt to raise awareness of the miscarriage of justice in the case against Brendan McConville and John-Paul Wootton. It can be downloaded by following the links below.

https://itunes.apple.com/album/id968820459 (iPhone, iPad and Mac)

https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bl2oa5o2qfn5ledpf6qxtzr2ehi (Android devices)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TUXALGG (Other devices)

Urgent Appeal