Major rally for republican prisoners in Belfast
Major rally for republican prisoners in Belfast
A special march and rally has been organised to highlight the plight of
the internees in Belfast today. The focus of the march will be west
Belfast republican Marian Price, whose health continues to deteriorate as she is held in isolation at Hydebank Women's Prison. Marian Price has been held in isolation for one year.
Despite being granted bail on the charges presented against her, she remains in custody on the order of British Direct Ruler Owen Paterson, who revoked a release licence dating from 1980. A pardon document which would have secured her release has been reportedly "lost" by the British authorities.
Last week the veteran republican was assessed by a doctor appointed by the United Nations after her physical and mental health continued to deteriorate.
Pauline Mellon from the Justice for Marian Campaign said the former
prisoners' campaigner "has been subjected to what experts define as torture and denied the most basic of human rights.
"The Justice for Marian campaign and Marian's family would call on the
public to support Marian by joining the march this Sunday, and event
that has been organised by independent human rights activists and which is not affiliated to any group or organisation."
West Belfast republican and former 1981 hunger striker, Gerard Hodgkins, who has been supporting the Price family in their campaign, appealed for
"anybody from a republican or socialist background, or anyone with an
interest in human rights at all, to come out and support the rally".
"Marian is entering into her second year of internment without trial on
the word of an unelected and unaccountable Englishman," he said. "That
is not democracy and it's not a system of justice."
The ex-prisoners' support group Coiste na nIarchimi expressed their
ongoing support for the campaign to release Marian Price, as well as
fellow internees Martin Corey and Gerry McGeough.
"Currently she is being held under the orders of the British Secretary
of State, whilst legally released on bail on other charges," said
Coiste's Michael Culbert.
"Marian Price has spent a year in prison whilst the legal system has
adjudged that she be set free on bail. This is wrong and Marian Price
should be released as instructed at her bail hearing.
"Coiste also supports the call for the release of both Martin Corey and
Gerry McGeough - two people also currently being held solely on the
instructions of the Secretary of State. We call on all former political
prisoners to support the campaign for the immediate release of these
people from jail."
As one of the so-called "Price sisters", Price was jailed for her part in the IRA London bombing campaign of 1973. She was part of a unit who placed four car bombs in London on 8 March 1973. The Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court and Hillgate House – a Government Building) and Whitehall army recruitment centre were damaged with 200 injured and one man died of a heart attack.
The two sisters were apprehended along with Hugh Feeney and seven others as they were boarding a flight to Ireland. They were tried and convicted at the Great Hall in Winchester Castle on 14 November after a two days of deliberation by the jury. Marian Price was sentenced to two life terms.
She and her sister Dolours Price, along with Gerry Kelly and Hugh Feeney, immediately went on hunger strike in a campaign to be repatriated to a prison in Northern Ireland. The hunger strike lasted over 200 days, with the hunger strikers being force-fed by prison authorities for 167 of them.
the internees in Belfast today. The focus of the march will be west
Belfast republican Marian Price, whose health continues to deteriorate as she is held in isolation at Hydebank Women's Prison. Marian Price has been held in isolation for one year.
Despite being granted bail on the charges presented against her, she remains in custody on the order of British Direct Ruler Owen Paterson, who revoked a release licence dating from 1980. A pardon document which would have secured her release has been reportedly "lost" by the British authorities.
Last week the veteran republican was assessed by a doctor appointed by the United Nations after her physical and mental health continued to deteriorate.
Pauline Mellon from the Justice for Marian Campaign said the former
prisoners' campaigner "has been subjected to what experts define as torture and denied the most basic of human rights.
"The Justice for Marian campaign and Marian's family would call on the
public to support Marian by joining the march this Sunday, and event
that has been organised by independent human rights activists and which is not affiliated to any group or organisation."
West Belfast republican and former 1981 hunger striker, Gerard Hodgkins, who has been supporting the Price family in their campaign, appealed for
"anybody from a republican or socialist background, or anyone with an
interest in human rights at all, to come out and support the rally".
"Marian is entering into her second year of internment without trial on
the word of an unelected and unaccountable Englishman," he said. "That
is not democracy and it's not a system of justice."
The ex-prisoners' support group Coiste na nIarchimi expressed their
ongoing support for the campaign to release Marian Price, as well as
fellow internees Martin Corey and Gerry McGeough.
"Currently she is being held under the orders of the British Secretary
of State, whilst legally released on bail on other charges," said
Coiste's Michael Culbert.
"Marian Price has spent a year in prison whilst the legal system has
adjudged that she be set free on bail. This is wrong and Marian Price
should be released as instructed at her bail hearing.
"Coiste also supports the call for the release of both Martin Corey and
Gerry McGeough - two people also currently being held solely on the
instructions of the Secretary of State. We call on all former political
prisoners to support the campaign for the immediate release of these
people from jail."
As one of the so-called "Price sisters", Price was jailed for her part in the IRA London bombing campaign of 1973. She was part of a unit who placed four car bombs in London on 8 March 1973. The Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court and Hillgate House – a Government Building) and Whitehall army recruitment centre were damaged with 200 injured and one man died of a heart attack.
The two sisters were apprehended along with Hugh Feeney and seven others as they were boarding a flight to Ireland. They were tried and convicted at the Great Hall in Winchester Castle on 14 November after a two days of deliberation by the jury. Marian Price was sentenced to two life terms.
She and her sister Dolours Price, along with Gerry Kelly and Hugh Feeney, immediately went on hunger strike in a campaign to be repatriated to a prison in Northern Ireland. The hunger strike lasted over 200 days, with the hunger strikers being force-fed by prison authorities for 167 of them.
