RNU Deplore Mistreatment of Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol
Republican Network for Unity (RNU) Spokesperson; MARTIN OG MEEHAN has expressed serious concerns regarding Prisoner Ombudsman Pauline McCabe’s, 18-month investigation into Maghaberry Gaol Staff.
Mr. Meehan said; “Numerous monitoring reports such as that, overseen in 1999 by the EU Torture Committee, which highlighted abuse in Maghaberry, as well as another by the former Chief Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales, Anne Owers and the latest from Ombudsman, Pauline McCabe have all concluded that the entire system in Maghaberry Gaol is ‘dysfunctional, weak and distrustful’.
There are longstanding and fundemental problems within the North’s Prison Service which have badly impacted Political Prisoners and their families, which can be evidenced by the chronic failure to implement last August’s agreement and the planting of a sinister note in the cell of Republican Prisoner, Brendan McConville. The planting of the former Governor’s personal details is just the tip of the iceberg and proves just how corrupt, dishonest and sectarian the P.O.A. is.
Mr. Meehan concluded; “Political Prisoners in Maghaberry are still being subjected to brutal strip searches by the same Staff who have been repeatedly condemned by the above reports. This terrible situation cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged.
The Republican Network for Unity utterly deplore the mistreatment of Republican Prisoners and again demand an immediate end to unjustifiable strip searches”.
