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14 January 1999 Edition

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Back issue: Growing support for men in H-Block

The growing support for the men `on the blanket' in H-Block has made itself felt in a variety of ways during the past few weeks.

That it is a support from a wider public than prisoners' relatives, republicans and a few concerned individuals can be seen from some recent expressions of concern and outrage at home and abroad.

An example of the international attention which is now focused on the issue is the resolution passed unanimously by Chicago City Council at a recent meeting.

The council, recognising that Britain has been found guilty by the European Commission on Human Rights of violating the rights of Irish political prisoners, and that over 350 political prisoners are held in conditions ``which are boggling to the imagination'', urged that Amnesty International hold formal in-depth investigative hearings on the subject of the human rights violations of Irish political prisoners.

At home, two more local councils have passed motions calling for political status to be restored to the prisoners.

Donegal County Council adopted such a motion at their last meeting.

Councillor H. Blaney, proposing it, said that nobody ``in their sane minds'' could condone the deplorable conditions in Long Kesh. Even though the Leinster House government chose to ignore the question, something had to be done about it.

An Phoblacht 13 January 1979


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