Dissident Republicans on dirty protest challenge Maghaberry move to prevent legal and family visits
Two prisoners involved in a “dirty protest” at Maghaberry Jail have won High Court permission to challenge the denial of legal and family visits. William Wong and Michael Johnston are seeking to judicially review the ban imposed by prison authorities, which includes phone calls and court visits.
Dissident republicans being held there have been staging a protest over conditions. Maghaberry authorities have stopped their access to visits due to health and safety concerns for staff, other inmates and the public.
Mr Johnston, 28, from the New Lodge area of north Belfast is on remand charged with possession of timer power units. Wong, 22, and formerly of Dalton Close, Armagh, was jailed earlier this month for a minimum of five years for having a pipe bomb.
Their lawyers claim the prohibition breaches their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Tony McGleenan, for the Prison Service, contended that the situation was down to the protesters refusing to wash. He told the court: “The prisoners themselves can quite simply take a shower, change their clothes and they can have legal visits.”
With the legal challenge set to be reviewed again later this week, prison authorities are expected to examine what other steps can be taken. One possible method may involve installing a phone line to be used only by the protesters.
Ciaran Murphy - When I Get Out
Arms stretched wide in a passive way,
One more strip search to begin the day,
Pig thick warders carrying out the governors orders without question,
And it they feel so hard in their boiler suits,
Their foot long batons and their nazi boots,
And they tried to break me with their dirty looks,
But I’m not frightened,
It’s when I tell myself “You wont be here forever one fine day your going home”
And well beyond these walls, wires, mesh and cameras,
I’ll catch up with them alone.
But they stare me out like the living dead,
They let their sniffer dogs go through my bed,
And the governor jokes that they’ll be better fed, than any prisoner
They make their living making my life hell,
Don’t look for justice in a 9 foot cell
“Comply at once boy or we’ll hit the bell and you’ll be batoned”
But I still tell myself I wont be here forever, One fine day I’m going home,
And well beyond these walls, wires, mesh and cameras,
I’ll catch up with them alone.
I’ve got 5 years down and I’ve 1 to go,
And I’ve felt emotions that you’ll never know,
But depression passes and my anger grows with every minute,
And these hard men screws that control my life,
They searched my children and disgraced my wife,
They’re gonna have a run in with my Stanley knife,
When I’m a free man.
I’m gonna hunt them down for every single minute,
They’ll regret it wait and see,
Every smart remark and grim humiliation, every time they tortured me,
When the screw comes home from his local bar,
I’ll be waiting for him in a little car,
And I’ll put the right foot on it ,
and the fucker will hit the bonnet one screw over,
When he’s walking home from the greyhound track,
He’ll feel my hammer bouncing off his back,
And that grim frustration that I felt in Isolation will be settled,
So I tell myself “You wont be here forever, one fine day your going home”
And well beyond these walls, wires, mesh and cameras,
I’ll catch up with them alone.
When the governors out in his Sunday best,
He’ll feel my Stanley knife across his chest,
And my ten hole DM Boots will do the rest,
Thats for Jimbo, (McDonald beaten to death by screws in HMP Maghaberry 1996)
When he turns the key to his private flat,
I’ll be waiting for him with my baseball bat,
And he’ll feel the anger of the dead still hanger he tormented
I used to tell myself don’t let them make you bitter,
Then they’ve got a hold on you,
But this country lets them get away with murder,
So murders what I’m going to do.
See I’ve watched brave men driven half insane,
As they left their children standing in the rain,
I heard young women screaming out in pain in isolation,
And I heard screws laugh as they cut the rope,
Of a young dead addict who gave up all hope,
Sure they only caught him with a lump of dope and took remission,
So I tell myself “You wont be here forever, one fine day your going home”
And well beyond these walls, wires, mesh and cameras,
I’ll catch up with them alone,
I used to tell myself don’t let them make you bitter,
Then they’ve got a hold on you,
But this country lets them get away with murder,
So murders what I’m going to do,
I’m gonna hunt them down for every single minute,
They’ll regret it wait and see,
Every smart remark and grim humiliation, every time they tortured me,
Every time they tortured me.
Republican Sinn Féin arrest amid Lurgan protest against abuse of political prisoners in Maghaberry
u.tvRepublican Sinn Féin president Des Dalton has been arrested in Lurgan, where shots have reportedly been fired and a number of cars hijacked and burnt out this evening.
Representatives of the group said Mr Dalton was detained as he made his way to a protest in Craigavon, over the condition of republican prisoners in Maghaberry.
A statement from the police said they have arrested two men - one aged 39 and another aged 30 - in connection with an illegal parade through the Lurgan in January.
Following news of Mr Dalton’s arrest, Republican Sinn Féin supporters mounted a new protest outside the police station where he’s being held in the Co Armagh town.
Josephine Hayden from RSF said the government has failed on promises to phase out strip-searching at jails.
“There was an agreement to phase out strip searches, but they’ve completely and utterly reneged on that, absolutely and completely.”
It began with a security alert surrounding a suspicious vehicle at Lake Street, and has seen a number of cars burnt out and reports of shots being fired.
Two people, a 24-year-old man and a woman in her mid 20s, have been arrested for disorderly behaviour in connection with the destruction.
Upper Bann SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly has condemned those behind the violence.”Meanwhile we have received reports that gun shots have been fired and major disruption has been caused to people due to traffic diversions and the closure of the train line.
Meanwhile in Belfast, an earlier security alert outside Strandtown Police Station in the east of the city has been declared a hoax.
Police were investigating claims to a local newsroom that a bomb had been abandoned in the area. The alert is now over and the Holywood Road has been re-opened.
