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Facts about Irish Political Prison Protest (and how you can help)

by National Irish Freedom Committee
How can you help? Get involved and take part in the Cabhair monthly sustainer! Cabhair, is an Irish charitable organisation that provides financial assistance to the dependants and family members of Irish Republican political prisoners. I would urge everyone who reads this to help them in this most noble of work by making a contribution. Cumann Na Saoirse Náisiúnta (National Irish Freedom Committee) sends all collected donations straight to Cabhair through its Monthly Sustainer program. The program is the cornerstone of the NIFC's Irish Republican Political Activists Support (IRPAS) Campaign. The Sustainer program operates on the pledge principle, whereby, donors pledge a monthly contribution: the amount to be decided by the donor. The National irish Freedom Committee is getting the word out that there are still Republican political prisoners in both Irish states and that the dependants of these prisoners and other political activists deserve our assistance. Get involved! Participants in the program will receive monthly bulletins informing them of up to date information regarding the plight of political activists who are imprisoned on the inside or in a state of virtual imprisonment on the outside! The National Irish Freedom Committee supports the dependents of Republican political prisoners through Cabhair in Ireland. Cabhair has been in existence for many years supporting the dependents of faithful Republican prisoners, and ensnared Éire Nua political activists throughout the 32 Irish counties. Anyone wishing to take part in the program should contact at: IRPAS [at] irishfreedom.net and visit the NIFC's website at: http://www.irishfreedom.net
Facts about Republican Prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol

* Thirty-eight Republican Prisoners currently imprisoned in Maghaberry Gaol.

* "Controlled movement" is imposed on Republican landings with only three prisoners permitted out of their cells on the landing at any one time with each prisoners accompanied by two prison officers. Free Association on landings completely removed.

* Legislation introduced by British government following the Good Friday Agreement removed the right of Republican prisoners to organise themselves on their own landings and removed the right of Republican prisoners to spend their time in prison constructively.

* Prisoners made to chose between daily exercise or education. Prisoners denied educational facilities to enable them to organise their own education.

* Easter lilies banned in the prison. Other Republican handicrafts confiscated and destroyed by prison officers.

* PSNI/RUC approval required before prisoners permitted on Republican landing.

* Republican prisoners’ parole entitlement has been reduced to half that of other prisoners.

* Denial of compassionate paroles for family and religious occasions. Parole for funerals of immediate family members often restricted to 6 hours or less.

* Constant use of strip searching to humiliate prisoners contrary to international law. One prisoner received 31 strip searches and 1,135 rub down searches in a six month period.

* Prisoners locked in their cells for alternately 21/23 hours per day.

* Abuse of the sniffer dogs in an attempt to criminalise political prisoners. Families and prisoners are wrongly accused of smuggling drugs into the prison. Familes are forced to have closed family visits which take place through Perspex screen while prisoners returning from parole are placed in solitary confinement for 48 hours.

* Family visitors exposed to Loyalist visitors while visiting prison. Prisoners exposed to Loyalists going to and from legal visits.

* The power of the Governor to punish a prisoner by taking away remission was reintroduced specifically for Republican prisoners after it was banned by the European Court of Human Rights in 2002.

* Access to a doctor available only once a week.

* Interference with correspondence.

* Irish language and cultural items including handicrafts made relating to hunger strikes confiscated or destroyed by prison officers.


_________________
Cumann Na Saoirse Náisíunta
National Irish Freedom Committee
http://www.irishfreedom.net/
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