Conditions in Maghaberry Volatile

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday April 15, 2002 04:45 by Reader of Saoirse

Concern is growing that a Republican POW will be killed if the Maghaberry Prison regime does not segregate Republican and loyalist prisoners.

Maghaberry prison situation volatile
April 14, 2002
Concern is growing that a Republican POW will be killed if the Maghaberry
Prison regime does not segregate Republican and loyalist prisoners.

All Republican POWs, both remand and sentenced, have been visited at the prison
by the RUC/PSNI and informed that they are under death threat from loyalists.

Already a number of Republican POWs have been attacked by loyalists who
outnumber them on wings and landings.

Republican Sinn Féin is demanding that the policy of forced integration at
Maghaberry Prison is ended and segregation of both Republican and loyalists put
in place.

Reassurances by the prison governor, Mr Mogg, that he can insure the safety of
Republican POWs has been shown by recent attacks on Republican POWs to be
nonsense.

If Mr Mogg and the Maghaberry regime continue to enforce their integration
policy then he and the Maghaberry regime will be responsible for the death of a
Republican prisoner.

Republican Sinn Féin also points to the fact that screws at the prison are in a
number of cases working in collusion with loyalist prisoners; many of the
screws are loyalists themselves. We believe that this is how information on
Republican prisoners and their families is being passed onto loyalist groups.

The situation at Maghaberry prison is volatile. We call on the members of the
Catholic clergy who interceded on the prisoners behalf before to do so again.
Everyone should be concerned about the situation in Maghaberry.

The next attack on a Republican POW could very well result in the death of that
POW.

Don't let it happen. Voice your concern. Let the world know of the injustice of
Maghaberry.