Political prisoners assaulted at English jail id KAA23478; Sat, 27 Sep 1997 10:09:22 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: RM_Distribution http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ Friday, 26 September, 1997 >>>> Political prisoners assaulted at English jail Anger has greeted the news that three Irish political prisoners, Hugh Doherty, Harry Duggan and Donal Gannon, were systematically assaulted at Whitmoor jail outside London last week while DNA samples were being forcibly extracted from the men. Sinn Fein Vice President Pat Doherty described the assaults as "entirely unacceptable". Mr Doherty called on the Irish Government to raise the issue immediately with the British government and to strenuously object to these unwarranted assaults on Irish citizens. The three prisoners were brought down individually to a basement cell where they were stripped, assaulted and left naked. The assaults came as prison staff forcibly took DNA samples from the men for an as yet unknown purpose. Mr Doherty also called on the Irish government to immediately repatriate all republican prisoners in English jails. "These totally unwarranted assaults will undoubtedly create anger and tension and will not be tolerated. "Unbelievably, these latest attacks come at a delicate time in the Irish Peace Process." During the last IRA cessation, under the previous Conservative government, jail conditions for republican prisoners in England worsened dramatically. The death of Pat Kelly from skin cancer was linked directly to the authorities initially ignoring his condition and then the long delay in getting the necessary treatment for his cancer. Combined with the lack of medical treatment many prisoners in the notorious Special Secure Units (SSU's) lived in conditions widely described as "concrete tombs". Contrary to recent media reports, one of the widely condemned units still operates at Belmarsh Prison in London. "Many people had assumed that this period of repression against Irish prisoners was now well behind us. There is a responsibility on everyone and particularly on both governments to create conditions which will remove the climate of mistrust. These latest assaults on prisoners dissipate such moves. "Prisoners and their families have a right to expect that the whole question of prisoners should be treated in a much more sensitive and generous way. Pending the eventual release of all political prisoners, conditions should be improved. Repatriation of Irish prisoners should proceed immediately and without delay." * Five Republican prisoners were released from Portlaoise prison in the 26 Counties today as part of the Dublin government's response to the IRA's ceasefire renewed in July. The five were named as Kieran McFadden, Dermot McFarland, Michael McLaughlin, Paul Rodgers and Patrick Villa. Two other political prisoners who were released last month had just weeks to go to the completion of their sentences. All the latest group to be freed were due to have remained imprisoned until August next year. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-09.27.97-10:09:32-12768