Liam Hannaway a traditional Irish republican, from a well-known west Belfast republican family, who is a relative of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has ended his 42 day hunger strike in occupied Ireland
Liam Hannaway a traditional Irish republican, from a well-known west
Belfast republican family, who is a relative of Sinn Fein leader Gerry
Adams has ended his 42 day hunger strike in occupied Ireland. The
40-year-old Irishman was moved to the health care unit at Maghaberry
on Monday night. He was protesting at being a vulnerable prisoner in a
unit with loyalist criminals and being in solitary confinement on 24
hour lock up at Maghaberry Prison, rather than being on a wing with
his comrades. He ended his hunger strike shortly after 1900 . It is
not yet clear if he will be moved to the republican wing after
receiving medical treatment.
Liam Hannaway a traditional Irish republican, from a well-known west
Belfast republican family, who is a relative of Sinn Fein leader Gerry
Adams has ended his 42 day hunger strike in occupied Ireland. The
40-year-old Irishman was moved to the health care unit at Maghaberry
on Monday night. He was protesting at being a vulnerable prisoner in a
unit with loyalist criminals and being in solitary confinement on 24
hour lock up at Maghaberry Prison, rather than being on a wing with
his comrades. He ended his hunger strike shortly after 1900 . It is
not yet clear if he will be moved to the republican wing after
receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, conditions in the republican wing of the prison where
Hannaway's family say he wants to be moved to, are now under
investigation after complaints and protests by prisoners. In a
statement, Prisoner Ombudsman Pauline McCabe said she was
investigating complaints from a number of prisoners and hoped to
produce a report within a few weeks.A Sinn Fein delegation led by
Martin McGuinness and Raymond McCartney discussed the situation at
Maghaberry Prison with Justice Minister of British occupied Ireland,
David Ford yesterday.

The following statement was released yesterday from an ex-prisoner of
Maghaberry.Once again we are seeing history repeat itself for
Republican prisoners in Maghaberry, who are now facing the same day to
day conditions that are best described as a throwback to the notorious
Long Kesh Prison of the 70’s and early 80's.

Now in 2010, more than 10 years after the Good Friday Agreement, we
are yet again witnessing an Irish Republican P.O.W, just after ending
his 42 day hunger strike. As regards the deplorable conditions faced
by ALL the Irish Republican P.O.W.'s, there doesn’t seem to be an
imminent end in sight, as the N.I. Prison authorities are yet again
digging their heels in and refusing to allow the men their simple
prisoner human rights. The situation is being further exaserbated by
a local/national and international media black-out which has been in
existence for the last several months behind Maghaberry's Walls.

All Irish Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry have been facing 23hr a
day lock downs, not to mention some of the prisoners have been
repeatedly beaten and abused by loyalist screws. Just recently a
P.O.W, Harry Fitzsimmons, was viciously set upon by screws while he
was in his cell and directly after was again subject to another
vicious assault whilst been removed from his cell, in full view of his
Irish Republican comrades on the landing. They then forcibly moved him
to a cell in the P.S.U (Punishment Block), and while he was there he
had his clothes removed by the screws using extreme force, and left
naked and handcuffed to his bed.

Prisoners have also had their water supply in their cells turned off,
forcing them to urinate into a bucket and the only means of getting
rid of the urine is to empty the contents under the door onto the
landing. As you can imagine with the current hot weather and the
cramped living conditions, the resulting putrid smell on the wing is
unbearable and a definite public health hazard to all the Irish
Republican inmates.

Moreover, due to the limitations upon prisoner mobility throughout the
wing, as a direct result of ongoing Prison officers industrial action,
the prisoners are expected to eat irregular meals in these conditions
whilst being forced to stand, and all meals must be eaten within a 15
minute time frame.

They bear the brunt of constant, aggressive mental and physical abuse
plus they are subject to demanding and unwarranted strip-searches on a
daily basis, not to mention the added turmoil of random cell searches
by Prison officers dressed in full riot gear!.

As a former Irish Republican P.O.W. incarcerated in Maghaberry Prison,
I call on all Irish Republicans, past and present, to unite in support
of the men in Maghaberry Gaol. At present all these men have to suffer
this draconian regime, imposed upon them by the Northern Ireland
Prison Authorities, simply because they demand their basic human
rights back and more importantly THEIR Political status (won by the 10
Brave Irish Martyrs of '81) re-instated which was threw away by Sinn
Fein as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
Is Mise,

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