Republican prisoners on hunger strike in England

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday January 07, 2003 13:17 by Republican

IRISH REPUBLICAN PRISONERS WELFARE ASSOCIATION. PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE. CONTACT: MARIAN PRICE. (CHAIRPERSON) TEL. NO: 07801 729412

THE IRPWA HAS LEARNED THAT TWO IRISHMEN, JAMES MC CORMACK FROM OMEATH AND
JOHN
PAUL HANNON FROM FERMANAGH, CURRENTLY HELD ON REMAND IN BELMARSH PRISON,
ENGLAND HAVE BEEN ON HUNGERSTRIKE SINCE MONDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2002 IN PROTEST
AT THE INHUMANE CONDITIONS THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO ENDURE. WE ARE ALL TOO
FAMILIAR WITH THE HARSH REGIME IN PLACE AT BELMARSH AND THE APPALLING
TREATMENT OF ALL MEN HELD THERE BUT IT APPEARS THE AUTHORITIES HAVE SINGLED
THESE TWO MEN OUT FOR PARTICULARLY VINDICTIVE ATTENTION. OVER THE PAST MONTHS
THEY HAVE BEEN DENIED VISITS AND PHONE-CALLS FROM LOVED ONES AS WELL AS NOT
RECEIVING CLOTHES AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS LEFT INTO THE PRISON. THIS ABUSE
CAME
TO A HEAD OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD AND RESULTED IN THE MEN UNDERTAKING THIS
PROTEST ACTION. WE URGE THE AUTHORITIES TO USE SOME COMMON-SENSE AND GET A
SPEEDY RESOLUTION TO THIS SITUATION. WE CALL ON ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS AND
GROUPS TO CONTACT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, BELMARSH PRISON AND THE IRISH
GOVERNMENT TO DEMAND THESE MEN GET WHAT THEY ARE ENTITLED TO-BASIC HUMAN
RIGHTS AND TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY.