Mála Poist

Justice for political prisoners

A Chairde,

I would like to add my voice to concern raised at a recent meeting in Belfast, chaired by Sinn Féin's Paul Maskey, about the continuing ill treatment of political prisoners in the jails here and the abuse of families attempting to visit loved ones. Like many of your readers, over the past 30 years, I have had loved ones imprisoned for their political beliefs. I have also found myself on the receiving end of such abuse as a visitor. I find it incredible that the British Government has not learned from the mistakes of the past; that nationalists, whatever their political allegiance, have a long tradition of campaigning on behalf of those imprisoned as a result of the conflict.

I have long been a supporter of both the Sinn Féin leadership and current republican strategy. I believe that other republican groups are mistaken in the tactics and strategy they have adopted in this regard and feel their views would be best and most effectively progressed using other means. I nonetheless accept that their comrades would not be in jail were it not for our unresolved political conflict and the historical legacy of Britain's imperialist conquest of Ireland. Besides these, there are also, of course, political prisoners still in jail who support the current Sinn Féin strategy — including those in Castlerea who should have been released under the Good Friday Agreement.

There are also many thousands of political ex-prisoners who continue to be denied full citizenship and civil rights. They continue to be denied the protection of fair employment legislation, the right of access to public employment and PSV licences, to travel, to adoption, and a whole series of other rights to which everyone in a free society is entitled to and expects. One of these ex-prisoners is Andersonstown man, and fellow Irish speaker, Ciarán Ferry, held in prison in the USA for nearly two years now for wanting what most normal people want, to be able to live with his (US-born) wife and child.

An estimated 15,000 republican prisoners went through the jails in this part of the world during the past 30 years. Many were also imprisoned in earlier decades, in the 1950s, '40s, '30s, '20s and before. Some of them were interned without trial, like my father and my brother, and my father-in-law, and I could go on. When internment was no longer a viable option to suppress political insurrection — for political insurrection it surely was — the state employed a range of other methods. Beatings in Castlereagh and Gough Barracks were used to provide forced statements, no-jury Diplock courts were used to provide the 'criminal' process, prison clothes and prison work were used to deny the political nature of the prisoner and an often compliant media was used to deny the truth of what was going on — that we had a political conflict here.

Today, it is accepted, in the legislation of the Good Friday Agreement, that the past 30 years of conflict was political. That Agreement also accepted that the people imprisoned during that conflict were politically motivated. Yet how can we establish the new society we all cherish when one group of people involved in the conflict - political prisoners — continue to be denied humane treatment within the prisons and another group — political ex-prisoners — continue to be denied civil rights outside the prisons?

Ciarán Ferry is one of those people. He should be allowed to join his wife and child in the USA like anybody else. The Castlerea prisoners should be released, in accordance with the stipulations of the Good Friday Agreement. Political prisoners in general should be treated humanely and with dignity, pending their release. Visitors to such prisoners should not have to undergo the indignity of strip-searches and the inhumanity of no contact with loved ones. The discrimination against politically motivated ex-prisoners should end so they can take a full role in the building of the new society and republicans SHOULD send Christmas cards to the remaining political prisoners in the jails. Why not send one to Ciarán, at Ciarán Ferry, PO Box 16700, Golden, CO 80402-6700.

Mairéad Uí Adhmaill,

Twinbrook,

Belfast.

Recent developments

A Chairde,

Writing from the United States, I was saddened to see that there was no final solution found to the current stalemate in the Peace Process in our country.

I agree, as do all of our friends here, that the IRA's stance on the issue of photography, etc, is reasonable, justified and should not be diluted.

We hope a solution can be found, our trust and thoughts are with you. Stay strong, we pray for you.

Clinton McDonald,

USA.

Fair Fines

A Chairde,

After the recent award of €21,000 to a woman cleaner for serious sexual harassment, I believe it is time for a review of compensation awards in our courts. The €21,000 was the maximum that the Equality Authority was empowered to award because the woman was paid only €10,500 per year. That is a mere 18 days' pay for a government advisor, who could be awarded up to €345,600 if she won a case with the Equality Authority.

There is clearly no fairness in such disparities. Awards should not be proportional to salary, as it favours already well-off claimants and discriminates against those on low pay.

Similarly, the imposition of flat rate fines effectively discriminates against those on low incomes. A €1,000 fine obviously penalises an offender earning €10,000 a year much more that someone on €100,000.

In Finland, fines are imposed in proportion to offenders' pay, which means that the actual penalties are more equal, regardless of income. Shouldn't we adopt a similar system here or will the well-off win out at the expense of the poor once again?

Dessie Ellis,

Dublin 11.