Marian Price released

Dolours and Marian Price were convicted with Hugh Feeney and Gerry Kelly (now a Sinn Féin MLA) of the IRA bombing of the Old Bailey in London in 1973. The sisters had together – with Hugh and Gerry – endured the ordeal of a hunger strike for more than 200 days for transfer to prisons in the North. The four were force-fed from 3 December 1973 to 18 May 1974. On 8 June 1974, all four ended their hunger strike after 206 days. They were subsequently transferred to the North.

MARIAN PRICE’S release on licence from prison in the Six Counties has been agreed by the Parole Commissioners although it’s not clear exactly when the seriously-ill 59-year-old will be fit enough to leave after being held with deteriorating health for more than two years.

In May 2011, then British Secretary of State Owen Paterson revoked her licence from a jail sentence in the 1970s. The west Belfast woman had been released on a ‘Royal Prerogative of Mercy’ in 1980 after she became seriously ill suffering from anorexia and tuberculosis while in Armagh Jail (see sidebar).

An outspoken opponent of the Peace Process, she had been charged but was denied due process in the justice system.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said her release is a “much belated but welcome development”.

He added:

“Marian was held without due process and has been very ill for most of this time.”

Sinn Féin Junior Minister Jennifer McCann has been one of a number of senior republican figures who has consistently lobbied for her release, including Martin McGuinness with the Parole Commissioners. She said:

“Marian Price was not a threat to the public and her continued detention at the behest of the British Secretary of State was an affront to the justice system. She should never have been imprisoned in the first place.

“Re-imposing her life-term licence, especially given that she was granted bail, was a vindictive and unjust decision and denied Ms Price the entitlement to due legal process.”

As recently as last week, Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson called in the European Parliament on MEPs who had taken an “honourable stand” against the illegal detention of prisoners in Guantanamo by the United States to speak out on the cases of prisoners similarly held by EU member state Britain – Marian Price and Martin Corey.

Marian’s sister, Dolours, was found dead at her home in Malahide, County Dublin, on 23 January.

•  Below: Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillors and activists at City Hall