In Tyrone a young Donaghmore man was stopped by a large contingent of British soldiers as he drove to Armagh last Friday. The man was stopped just outside Eglish at about 10.30am by a foot patrol with soldiers on either side of the road in adjacent fields.

When the man asked why he was being stopped a British soldier replied, ``not everyone has got a ceasefire.'' They searched the man, his car and his hair. During the search the door panels of the car was damaged. The man had previously been told by the RUC that he is on a Loyalist death list.

A man driving through Dungannon on Friday 3 April was stopped and harassed by members of the RUC on William Street. When the man asked why he was being detained, they replied, ``because we have the authority to.''

The man then drove a further 20 or 30 yards down the road to park his car after being told he was being arrested. Again he was surrounded by a large force of RUC men. Shortly a small nationalist crowd formed.

After about 30 minutes the RUC left and the man, a target of previous harassment, has yet to hear anything from the RUC.

RUC/RIR harassment of solicitor's employee

Sinn Fein councillor Sean McGirr said that the action of a joint RIR/RUC patrol in stopping a young male solicitor's clerk last Friday ``confirms that there is still widespread intimidation of lawyers.''

The incident occurred as the clerk was leaving the Armagh offices of solicitors Madden and Finucane. The RIR/RUC unit demanded to see confidential legal files that the clerk was carrying. He refused to hand them over.

Kevin Winters, of Madden and Finucane, called the incident ``intimidation and harassment of the worst possible kind.'' He said a formal complaint would be lodged with the RUC and the Law Society has been asked to investigate the incident. Other international bodies would be notified, including the CAJ, Amnesty International, the UN rapporteur, the Criminal Bar Association and British Irish Rights Watch.

McGirr also claimed that a number of Madden and Finucane clients had been harassed going in and out of the Armagh offices over the last two months. He said, ``this is further evidence of the continuing harassment of legal firms that represent local nationalists.'' He called on clients not to be intimidated in using the office.

Felons harassment continues

The RUC arrest of the Felons Club chairperson, while he was on holiday with his family, has been described by the Association as ``particularly vindictive.''

Liam Shannon was arrested by the RUC last Thursday at a holiday caravan site in the Six Counties. He was taken to Grosvenor Road RUC barracks where he was interrogated over a period of ten hours.

Earlier that morning the RUC raided the Shannon family home. ``This is not the first arrest,'' said a spokesperson from the Felons Association, ``Just a few months ago an employee was arrested, the club was raided, books and a sum of money were taken by the RUC. At the time we highlighted what could only be described as a vendetta being waged against the club by the RUC.''

The money, which belongs to Prisoners' Transport and a lottery by the Felons' Pipe Band, has yet to be returned by the RUC. ``Harassment of patrons, employees and members of the Felons Association has reached an unprecedented level,'' said a spokesperson, ``in the week after the talks document we are again on the receiving end of RUC actions. The RUC have nothing, other than harassment and intimidation, to offer people for the future. They should immediately cease their hostility towards us and make a significant contribution to the establishment of a lasting peace by disbanding.''