Prisons Crisis CENSORED by British Tabloid Media

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday March 05, 2003 11:47 by hEBE

Subject: Prisons Crisis CENSORED by British Tabloid Media Date: 03 04 03 For the Irish Freedom Committee report on the Derry Civil Rights Conference on Political Status please see the links provided below today’s story. The Irish Freedom Committee® http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net
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Subject: Prisons Crisis CENSORED by British Tabloid Media
Date: 03 04 03

As reported here previously, family members of Irish political
prisoners
at Maghaberry Prison joined Civil Rights veterans, prisoners’
representatives, and human rights representatives from Ireland, Britain
and the United States at a Derry conference last week to address
mounting concerns for their loved ones at Maghaberry.

Prisoners’ representatives and family members have expressed serious
concerns recently that Irish republican political prisoners at
Maghaberry may be forced to take actions into their own hands and
embark
on protest in weeks to come, as the situation inside the prison goes
from bad to worse, and the men inside are being pushed to the brink of
endurance under the barbaric conditions which have severely threatened
their physical safety.

FEARS FOR PRISONERS

Concern has escalated as several republican prisoners have been
brutally
beaten by loyalist paramilitary prisoners who are housed alongside
them,
outnumbering them in some cases up to eleven-to-one on a landing.
Republican prisoners have no wing of their own and are forced to
integrate with loyalist paramilitary members in a suicidal policy which
seems intent upon delivering the violent death of any republican
prisoner at any time. Many republican prisoners have already been
visited by the RUC/NIPS police force who have delivered warnings of
death threats drawn against them by loyalist groups inside the prison.

Family members wholeheartedly endorsed last week’s Derry conference by
their presence, in the hopes that the deadly issues for their loved
ones
could be borne by a wide coalition of civil rights and humanitarian
groups united for the day by conference hosts the 1968 Civil Rights
Veterans and the Full Status Now Campaign in Derry. The conference was
successful in uniting pledges from all in attendance to continue to
expose the issues and lighten the load however possible for the men
inside with renewed efforts to pressure local government and
humanitarian agencies worldwide.

FAMILY TESTIMONIES

Members of the media were invited for the second portion of the
conference, when family members spoke passionately and at length
regarding the harassment they have endured as the prison has repeatedly
attempted to break the connection between the prisoners and their loved
ones on the outside.

Family members rose one by one to describe death threats to their loved
ones, ransacked cells, forced integration with groups who don’t even
live in the same communities on the outside, and the continuing fears
that their loved ones will be forced to take matters into their own
hands if the emergency situation is not soon addressed.

Cameras and microphones recorded as anxious mothers described the
intimidation of their small children by large sniffer dogs, a needless
attempt to frighten already terrified children. The media was reminded
that republicans are staunchly anti-drugs and this fact would be well
known to the prisons administration, who appear to be more intent upon
enforcing the psychological intimidation of families and the random
screening of visitors to particular prisoners.

Reporters and television cameras also were present and recording as the
conference organizers and speakers summarized the day’s events by
pledging to continue to work tirelessly on the outside to ensure that
“no more body bags come out of Irish prisons”.

SHAME ON BRITISH SLEAZE MEDIA

It has been with great regret, then, that we have since witnessed a
pathetic and farcical attempt by tawdry elements of the British tabloid
media to discredit the conference and some of its attendees.

The British tabloid media apparently went to great lengths to smuggle
out clandestine photographs of two American observers, to be sold to
the
highest bidder. These American representatives from the Irish Freedom
Committee had previously declined requests for interviews and
photographs in order not to detract attention from the day’s issues at
hand, which seemed better represented by the heartfelt testimonies from
family members on the grave dangers faced by their loved ones.

Seemingly incapable of recognizing either the significance of the event
or the gravity of the issues being addressed, these tabloid fiction
writers chose instead to hijack to conference and set their own agenda.

By totally disregarding the requests from conference organizers and the
IFC representatives themselves not to be sensationalized at the expense
of the family members, these tabloid journalists have shown that they
embody the lowest and the worst of their profession. A farcical effort
was made by these gutter press merchants to concoct depictions of the
American observers that bordered on the ludicrous.

Through their small-minded efforts at sensationalizing an American
observer presence at the expense of recording the very real concerns
presented before them, these sleaze merchants demonstrated the utter
absence of any humanitarian concern for either the families or the
prisoners. Clearly these sexist and reactionary tabloid elements have
only demonstrated that they will stoop at nothing to serve a pro-Treaty
British agenda and thwart a campaign for the return of Political Status
and basic human rights to Irish political prisoners.

We in the Irish Freedom Committee wish to re-assert our continuing
pledge to work for the return of Political Status and basic human
rights
for Irish Republican Prisoners. We like the families feel that these
men would not be inside prison walls were it not for an army of
occupation in their native land. We will not be deterred by attempts
to
discredit our human rights work, which will continue as ever to speak
for itself. We know that we are but a small cog in a great wheel of
growing support worldwide for issues facing the Irish people in their
pursuit of basic human rights and liberties and an end to foreign
military oppression. Our attackers only serve to highlight the
importance of the work we are doing, and can only strengthen our
resolve
to go forward.

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IFC NewsList 02 25 03 - Derry Civil Rights Conference on Political
Status
http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/bb3/february_2003.htm#Derry_Conference_Political_Status

Derry Journal 02 25 03 – ‘Support for dissidents growing stronger’
http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/bb3/february_2003.htm#derry_journal_conference_rpt

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DEMAND THE RIGHT FOR POLITICAL STATUS TO IRISH REPUBLICAN POLITICAL
PRISONERS.

1. THE RIGHT TO SEGREGATION
2. THE RIGHT TO RECOGNITION AS A GROUP
3. THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR OWN SPOKESPERSON
4. THE RIGHT TO A WING OF THEIR OWN

Write to Irish Political Prisoners!!

For more information go to the IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE at
www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

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