Support for prisoner subjected to years of MI5 abuse

Republican Prisoners at Maghaberry prison have drawn attention to “unrelenting and spineless” attempts by elements within British Crown Forces to torment their comrade Gavin Coyle, who has been repeatedly told he is under threat inside Maghaberry prison.

Denying any threat exists, they pointed out that Mr Coyle is “no stranger” to such harassment, having spent five years of his life in solitary confinement as a result of similar false allegations.

His isolation was raised “time and time again”, and isolation remains a core issue for Republican Prisoners to this day, they said.

“It is a tool MI5 may use at anytime, and did so uncompromisingly in Gavin’s case, who unfortunately spent every day of custodial sentence in isolation on the boards [in isolation].

“It would not have been lost on the security department within the gaol or their paymasters in MI5 that Gavin’s spirit remained indestructible throughout his incarceration in solitary confinement.

“Gavin now finds himself in prison once again and is once more the victim of an unrelenting campaign of harassment by Crown Forces – in spite of the fact that he now resides with his comrades on the Republican wing of Roe House, which in itself exposes their lies that gave rise to his prior isolation.”

They accused MI5 of merely changing tactic and “bombarding” Mr Coyle with claims of non-existent death threats on the Republican wing at Roe House in the jail.

“These all allege that his life is under immediate threat and that an attack on his life may take place in his cell. These fictional threats are designed purely to intimidate Gavin, who like every other Republican Prisoner in Roe House is well aware of the source of these fabricated threats.

“They could not break the resolve of Gavin Coyle when they held him like a dog in a kennel for 5 years in isolation, and they won’t break him now. Gavin has the respect and support of every Republican Prisoner on Roe House, and we collectively condemn in the strongest possible terms the futile efforts of the sinister elements in their vain attempts to intimidate Gavin. He will not be broken.”

Urgent Appeal