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Republican Network for Unity: il sistema britannico gioca con la vita di Tony Taylor

Prison Service, PSNI and NHS staff play games with seriously ill Republican Prisoner

RNU | Republican Network for Unity
RNU have expressed dismay and concern at the sick antics of the Maghaberry administration who have again used the plight of seriously ill POW Tony Taylor to confuse and cause maximum distress to his wife and family.

Yesterday afternoon, Tony (who suffers from injuries he sustained in an explosion in the early 90s), was taken from Maghaberry Gaol to an outside hospital after a severe infection caused his right arm to swell at an alarming rate.

Tony who is on full dirty protest in Roe House, lost his spleen in the explosion and had his body peppered with shrapnel which is still present, this makes him vulnerable to infection as his immune system is particularly compromised.

Infections if left untreated can lead to blood poisoning and in Tony’s case can prove fatal.

At no time did the prison administration contact Tony’s wife or family to inform them he had been taken to an outside hospital, it was only through conversation with other prisoner’s families that the news reached his wife late yesterday evening.

On calling the Gaol, his wife was then denied details as to his medical condition and was even refused knowledge of the which hospital had been taken to.

Being given the impression that he was in Lagan Valley hospital, Tony’s wife then spoke to a senior staff nurse there who flatly refused to give her any details on either his condition or exact whereabouts.

From the language and attitude displayed by this nurse it appears that she had been briefed not to divulge any such details to anybody who called on Tony’s behalf.

Only when she persevered and again called Lagan Valley, this time speaking to a junior staff member did Tony’s wife discover that he was in fact in Belfast City Hospital and was undergoing treatment for a serious infection to his arm.

On discovering that Tony’s wife had again called, the previous senior nurse then came back onto the phone and lambasted her for calling back, insisting that she stop calling the hospital on behalf of her husband.

Upon calling Belfast City Hospital, Tony’s wife was again met with resistance from staff who refused to divulge any information as to the condition of their patient; again it appeared that staff had been briefed not to speak to any callers about Tony’s wellbeing or whereabouts.

Several times in calls to the Gaol governor, Tony’s wife was told that a visit with him was out of the question, all the time being given imprecise information about his condition and exact whereabouts.

Eventually this morning she was told that Tony was on his way back to Roe House as his condition had been treated, however on again calling Belfast City Hospital she was informed that he was in fact still in their care and under armed PSNI guard.

Upon demanding an explanation from the Maghaberry administration for the confusion caused, Tony’s wife was told that the PSNI were in control of the situation and that it was a matter for them.

Tony is currently still in Belfast City Hospital and is not on his way to Roe House as previously claimed by the Maghaberry administration.

This sustained confusion and refusal to divulge information is leading to unbearable stress and worry on the family of Tony Taylor.

RNU believe that worry is deliberately being visited on Tony’s family in direct retaliation for his commitment to the Dirty Protest in defence of the August agreement in Maghaberry and in hope that visiting suffering on families will place further pressure on protesting prisoners.

We would ask NHS staff not to be press ganged into going along with these tactics and demand that they respect the rights of families to know about the condition and whereabouts of their loved ones.

We condemn attempts to put pressure on families of protesting POWs from any quarter and salute their resolve, we also call for the immediate release of Tony Taylor on medical grounds alone, it is clear that his medical condition is placing his life in danger within the confines of Maghaberry prison.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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