Republican Sinn Fein Tyrone

The struggle for political status is as strong now in Maghaberry jail as it was in the H-blocks during The Hunger strikes. The dirty protest last year, when the Republican Prisoners being held in Maghaberry jail won segregation from other Prisoners , their families heaved a sigh off relief, they now believed their loved ones in the jail would be left alone to serve out their sentences in peace.

It was not to be, ever since the Prisoners were moved onto their own wing they have had to put up with a campaign off abuse and hatred aimed at them from the screws and the prison system. The people running the jail are trying to criminalize the Republican Prisoners, they have a very short memory, it was this kind off treatment that led to the prison protests of the late 70s and early 80s, the prison staff and the NIO must believe their own propaganda.

These men are not criminals they are soldiers of Ireland, freedom fighters and they stand in a long tradition of imprisoned irish soldiers, they know their cause is a just one, they know to fight for your country is not a criminal act they are prisoners of war and have witnessed Bobby Sands and his comrades give their lives to achieve this goal of political status, do the screws and the NIO think prisoners today will react any differently. After the signing of the GFA the NIO revoked special category status, effectively criminalising anyone arrested for subverse activity after that date, not only did they revoke this but they put our prisoners on the same wing as loyalists, this led to the segregation campaign, were inside the jail the Prisoners went on dirty protest and ouside the Jail their supporters took to the streets to demand segregation, during this time republicans in the jail were subjected to brutal treatment by the regime and by the loyalist inmates. After a successful campaign by the prisoners and their supporters for segregation they are now faced with another up - hill battle in the jail to change the way prisoners are treated on the Republican wing.

The Republican wing is run like camp x-ray with the prisoners having little or no freedom they do not have free association, they are limited in their craft work and educational facilities and the prison is now limiting more and more types off clothing leading to speculation that they are trying to slip a uniform in through the back door, but the worst factor for the Prisoners is the day to day security they are faced with some Prisoners say they are searched more than 40 times a day and their cells are regularly torn apart in searches by the Jails specialist team the "Ninjas". They come onto the wing with dogs and full riot gear destroying artwork and confiscating harmless items letting their dogs urinate and defecate in the cells while pushing and verbally abusing the Prisoners in an attempt to get a reaction so they can come down hard on a Prisoner.

The Prisoners are being sent to the punishment blocks over the smallest things, the families are also targeted turning up for visits and being turned away because the snifer dog sits down beside them , the dog is trained to sit down beside anyone with drugs on their person but the screws can be seen tugging on thedogs chain to make it sit,if one person in the family visiting party has the dog sit down on them the whole party lose their visit , it is a tactic to hurt the Prisoners who look forward to the weekly visits off family and friends this behaviour must stop.

Republican Prisoners will never let themself's be criminalized the treatment they are receiving at the hands off the British Prison authorities is disgraceful, we call on everyone to support the Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Jail and to help thePrisoners support groups. England should know from the past, when our Prisoners backs are to the wall is when we are at our strongest have they learned nothing from the protests off 1981, Republican Prisoners are Prisoners off war and they would die before they would wear the criminals uniform .