Roisin McAlisky arrested

by CARA Mon May 21, 2007 14:33

Is anyone of aware of any protests being beong organised against this political arrest?

by black man ray Mon May 21, 2007 14:37

The case was dropped in 1998 by then British Home secretary Jack Straw who conceded that McAliskey was suffering from a 'mental illness' and that it would be 'unjust and oppressive' to extradite her at that time.

by Howard and Rights Mon May 21, 2007 15:11

was directly involved in the abuse of Roisin Mc Aliskey. Theses were the days when
Bernadette's Human Rights activities really pissed off the Island agenda of the two-party
governmental system.

so Bernadette comes to Dublin with the purpose of discussing human rights and her
daughter is attacked by the quasi-Balirite administration which has hung its hat on the
GFA- which does not consider the rights of the populations of England and Ireland
to equality to be above the necisstation of finding for its third way 'president' a place
in history.

Jack Straw has been been too long grinding his teeth on the issues of globalised
inequality , with the highest incidences of persistent child poverty -ever- in the UK.
The 26 counties. The North of Ireland.

They do not like meddling women.
The gloves are off,its a return to Thatcherism in all but name- degradation for those
who do not accept the issue of meritocratic rule.

by Gan ainm - Belfast ABC Mon May 21, 2007 16:30

Roisin got bail but no doubt this issue is far from over.
Black man Ray i stand corrected, my fingers apologise.

by HB Mon May 21, 2007 16:36

Just to clarify. The "mental illness" 'black man ray' was refering to was a nervous breakdown caused by the interrogation methods of the PSN... - sorry, I mean RUC (easy to get confused, not really any different)

From an April 1998 report:
"British Home Secretary Jack Straw said any move to extradite her would be "unjust and oppressive" in light of her deteriorating condition."
"Roisin had suffered a mental breakdown following her six-day interrogation by the RUC in Belfast's Castlereagh holding centre and subsequent transferal to Holloway prison in England."
http://larkspirit.com/roisin/news.html
(They may have to update that now)

"During her detention she was said to have suffered severe psychological damage, resulting in a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/592109.stm

"Amnesty International considers that she was detained in conditions which constituted cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. It was only through international protest that some of the restrictions were eased towards the end of her pregnancy, and she gave birth on 26 May in a civilian hospital."
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR450231998?op...G-369

Amnesty International published a document in April 1997 entitled : United Kingdom: Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment: Detention of Róisín McAliskey (AI Index: EUR 45/08/97).

by HB Mon May 21, 2007 17:01

Of course the RTE report of her arrest omits to mention her interrogation and breakdown:
"Ms McAliskey faced a similar action in 1998. The then British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, decided at the time that she could not be extradited for health reasons, as she was pregnant."
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0521/northextradition.html

by T Mon May 21, 2007 17:15

The severe psychological damage suffered by her during detention in 1998 cited above, will very likely have resulted in long term health effects on her baby as it is well known the stress and particularly great stress during pregancy can have long term consequences that doesn't always show up immediately. The British would have certainly been aware of this at the time.

by joe Mon May 21, 2007 19:09

So much for the 'peace process.' Is everyone who is not essential to the provos to be rounded up for past deeds?

by Barry - 32 csm Mon May 21, 2007 20:51

Only a few days ago her mother came out of political retirement to address an Eirigí commemoration at the graveside of James Connolly , both highlighting and criticisng the British occupation of this country. Within days the British police move against her daughter . This is as clear a political message and response from the British as you can get .

by Jacqueline Fallon Mon May 21, 2007 22:01

Róisín McAliskey was subjected to barbaric treatment at the hands of the British prison system and their interrogators occupying this country in Castlereagh. You would have to have a heart of absolute stone to make a decision to extradite a woman who suffered such overwhelming and no doubt life long mental trauma as a result of her incarceration by the British. The British authorities and their RUC interrogators committed a terrible crime by subjecting her to such inhuman treatment. If there was any justice at all it should be the British that should be pursued and brought to justice by the European Court of Human Rights for their failure to provide adequate care to a pregnant woman while in their custody. I would have thought that dredging this up again would be embarrassing for the British, due to the fact that it highlights yet, again, their crimes against Irish people and their long history of miscarriages of justice.

No doubt many people will be taking to the streets in support of Róisín McAliskey in the next few days and will be highlighting yet, again, British injustice in Ireland and the hold that it continues to have on the North of this island.

With regard to 'Patriot', you cannot regard children as being: Loyalist, Protestant, Catholic, Nationalist and Republican - children do not care about such things. I have yet to meet a 4-year-old that gives a shite about any of them!

by Pat Tue May 22, 2007 04:14

The prosecution based its case on this German witness. They claimed he had identified Roisin from a photograph. However, when the 'witness" was interciewed on TV, he stated that he had never seen her and didn't understand why the prosceution wanted testimony from him.

Roisin was released on the basis of lack of evidence - and the international outcry over this travesty.

When I wrote to the German Embassy at the time, they replied that Roisin's release was entirely up to the British government. And I'm sure that's who's behind this latest attack.

by Jack White - Broughshane free love vegan nudists Tue May 22, 2007 16:08

Barry 32 CSM, with all due respect, this is nonsense. Bernadette was never in political retirement. She has always and continues to be a prolific human rights activist, women's rights activist, civil rights activist, migrant workers rights activist, and so on, as her work at STEP and ANIMATE testifies. I think what you mean is that she distanced herself from articulations of narrow nationalist rhetoric about " never mind them trendy issues, just worry about the fourth green field and everything will be alright" and rightly so.

The reopening of proceedings against Róisín McAliskey is a vindictive and retrograde move by a shamelessly manipulative and authoritarian regime. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Blairite (sorry... Brownite) apparachics had calculated that no-one would kick up much of a fuss about the prospect of Róisín McAliskey being re-imprisoned. You only have to look at the lack of outrage at Margaret Hodge's latest comments about immigrants, or at the reports about conditions in asylum seeker detention camps.

I they go ahead with proceedings against her it is because they have calculated that a relatively de-politicised public will roll over and let them away with it.
If that is what they have calculated, then it is a serious miscalculation.

by Michael Wed May 23, 2007 17:34

A terrorist act is still a terrorist act, no matter who committed it, how long ago it happened, where it happened or what police force investigated the crime? Maybe Roisin was suffering from a mental illness at the time, but if she has "recovered" then she ought to face justice. Maybe she's innocent & will be found innocent?

by hmmmmmm Wed May 23, 2007 19:11

SF get on board with policing, and suddenly non-SF republicans of all shades (from the Nazi twat McGeough to people at an anti-war demo) are being rounded up by the pigs...

by xian Wed May 23, 2007 19:39

As for a 'return to Thatcherism', it never went away, just a different head on the puppet. B Liar & his gang have done nothing for the people of the 'United' Kingdom but involve them in another foreign war & occupation @ cost to the health service, education & law.
Why is the Queen on British money? Patriots like to see who owns them.

by rooster Thu May 24, 2007 13:58

if its not broke don't try to fix it!

by Bob K Fri Jun 01, 2007 21:46

I'm no lawyer but surely there must be a prima fascia case to answer before a person can be tried. I would remind you that the British Crown Prosecution Service declined to pursue the case against Ms McAliskey due to a lack of evidence. Based on Michaels logic, all the members of the 1920s IRA and a fair few Israeli politicians should be facing trial too.