Justice Minister is ‘cross’ community when it comes to republican prisoners

A SF delegation recently visited Magheraberry to investigate complaints from Republican Prisoners which have resulted in growing protests on the streets. SF MLA Raymond McCartney reported a very positive engagement: “A range of issues were raised by the prisoners. They included complaints about a number of punitive actions such as the use of strip searching as harassment of both prisoners and their visitors and a range of other conditions-related issues that were very familiar to the former prisoners on the …

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Sleepwalking into the past? Liam Hannaway’s hunger strike.

With the ongoing protests against conditions in Maghaberry, a dead hunger striker is not in anyone’s interests but that seems a growing risk in the much overlooked case of Liam Hannaway. Hannaway is two years into a 10-year sentence for possession of explosives and ammunition and is on Hunger Strike. His situation seems complex and I have no personal insight but the Andersonstown News initially reported on it while the IFC have a more recent article: Liam was sentenced ten …

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“..things are what they are and will be what they will be”

The number of people protesting over the conditions republican prisoners face in Magheraberry is growing. Newry Republican has a blog that gives an impression of the crowds that attended Sunday’s rally at the prison. The Pensive Quill covers the speech made by Harry Fitzsimmons‘ sister Maureen at that protest (also on YouTube). More photographs demonstrating the size of the protest appear on the Friends of Colin Duffy website. Sinn Féin previously announced a visit to the prison but as yet …

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