INLA Prisoners Portlaoise Gaol statement about Maghaberry

I.N.L.A Prisoners E4 Portlaoise Gaol, reiterate our call for a satisfactory conclusion to the current impasse in the continuing struggle in Roe house 3/4 Maghaberry Gaol.

There is no division in our communities on this issue; there is no division amongst our political organizations on this issue as all that is being sought is humanitarian treatment for men incarcerated as a result of their political beliefs or affiliations.

I welcome fully the recent initiatives by Sinn FĂ©in/Coiste and IRSP/Teach na Failte, and while supporting them in their work I encourage all republicans to advance cohesion regardless of divisions outside the fundamental Prisoner issue.

I welcome the news that former Portlaoise Prisoner Harry Fitzsimons has been returned to Roe house however it is unacceptable that Harry Fitzsimmons or any republican or republican socialist prisoner should have to endure such horror in 2010.

Our Movement are mindful that this mans return to roe house is a return to the same regime that brutalized him in the first place and a regime that continues in its attempt to criminalize men who have made it clear they will never be criminalized.

My own circumstances find me unfortunately in a position to refute the allegations of the 6 County P.O.A who claim implementing political recognition in Roe house would affect the security of their Gaol.

This is a position which can easily be discredited simply by comparing the situation in Portlaoise to that of our comrades in Magaberry.

Political Prisoners in the 26 counties rightfully retained political status after 1998 and in the 12 years since there has been no evidence of the administration’s security being breached or discredited by continuance of humanitarian conditions for Political Prisoners.
In fact in those same 12 years Maghaberry has been in a constant state of crisis consistently failing routine inspections and repeatedly being criminally investigated for abuses of human rights.

The overwhelming evidence is in our favor, as all we ask is equality- we re-affirm our solidarity with our protesting comrades one and all, we express our gratitude to the republican people for their efforts thus far and we re determine our selves to achieve victory in this necessary humanitarian struggle.

Saoirse Go Deo

Gerard Mackin
Officer in Command
I.N.L.A. P.O.W.s E4