Prison Fast

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Friday July 14, 2006 16:43 by RPAG - Republican Prisoners Action Group

Political status for Poltical prisoners!

On Friday 14th July 2006 Republican POW’s both in Maghaberry and Portlaoise will hold a 24hour fast in protest against the regime in Maghaberry and the attempts to criminalise Republican Prisoners by enforcing sub-standard conditions on the segregated landings.

SUPPORT THE POWs

On Friday 14th July 2006 Republican POW’s both in Maghaberry and Portlaoise will hold a 24hour fast in protest against the regime in Maghaberry and the attempts to criminalise Republican Prisoners by enforcing sub-standard conditions on the segregated landings.

Republican POW’s in Maghaberry have been engaged in a prison protest since 19th June 2006 and there are now over thirty POW’s on the protest. They are fighting to improve conditions for segregated prisoners in Maghaberry who are in effect being punished for exercising their right to segregation from non-political prisoners. They are demanding that their 5 demands be addressed.

RIGHT TO FREE ASSOCIATION

END TO CONTROLLED MOVEMENT

RIGHT TO FULL TIME EDUCATION

SEPARATE VISITING FACILITY

RIGHT TO ORGANISE OUR OWN LANDINGS

POW’s in Portlaoise have been acting in solidarity with their comrades in Maghaberry during the prison protest and 19 POW’s in Portlaoise will also be fasting on Friday.

The Republican Prisoners Action Group (RPAG) has been highlighting the worsening conditions that have existed since the implementation of segregation but the prison service and others ignored our concerns. This has led to POW’s themselves embarking on a protest as they felt that this was the only avenue left open to them. This issue cannot be ignored any longer, it must be dealt with and these demands must be addressed.