Dissident prisoners dispute Prison Service account
DISSIDENT republican prisoners involved in protests in Maghaberry jail claim recent statements by the Prison Service have been misleading.
In a statement released to the Londonderry Sentinel the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA) say Prison Service statements on Monday and Tuesday did not reflect reality.
On Monday NIPS stated: “The Republican prisoners, who had barricaded themselves in their dining room in Roe House on Easter Sunday morning following a church service, have now been returned to cellular accommodation.
“This followed intervention by Prison Service staff on the authorisation of the Director.
“The ending of the incident was observed by members of the Independent Monitoring Board. There were no injuries to staff or any prisoners.”
The following day NIPS declared the situation to have returned to normality.
IRPWA refute this claiming: “Recent statements emanating from British Prison authorities regarding the treatment of Republican prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol have been deliberately misleading and are at total odds with the real situation in the Jail.
“After Republican prisoners protested on Easter Sunday about their conditions and treatment in the jail they were moved to punishment cells.
“Subsequently, the British prison authorities released a statement to the media on Tuesday the 6th of April denying that any Republican prisoners were moved to punishment cells and added that they were ‘currently deciding whether any, or all, who took part in the weekend protest will face disciplinary proceedings.'”
The IRPWA statement goes on to claim that republican prisoners have documented proof contradicting the NIPS version of events.
“Furthermore, as some Republican prisoners were being moved to the boards they were paraded in front of a block which houses loyalist prisoners where they were subjected to serious sectarian abuse,” it continues.
“The deteriorating condition in Maghaberry has been a matter of concern to the IRPWA and other Republican organisations for some time now.
“Basic human rights are being denied to Republican POWs by a vindictive and sectarian prison regime and the IRPWA and other Republican organisations will do everything in their power to support the prisoners in their battle for conditions befitting republican prisoners.
“We call on all Republicans, especially ex-POWs, and those interested in upholding human rights to assist the prisoners in whatever capacity they can.
“The IRPWA will continue to hold regular protests and collections in support of Republican POWs,” it adds.
