18 December 1997 Edition

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POWs in England updated

By Marcas Mac Ruairí

REPUBLICAN prisoners in England have been given an update on the peace process during visits from a Sinn Féin delegation last week.

Led by Party Vice President, Pat Doherty, the delegation included Gerry Kelly, Pat Hamilton and Bernie Farrell of the POW Department.

Though several of the prisoners have been taken out of SSUs this year, the Special Secure Unit at Belmarsh remains in operation. There are also other serious prison-related issues to be resolved for the prisoners in England.

These issues include repatriations to Ireland and the continued delay in setting tarrifs in the case of the Balcombe Street men.Despite having served 22 years, they have yet to recieve their tarrifs, or release dates. Without these dates the men are not allowed to transfer to prisons in Ireland.

Pat Doherty also met Michael Gallagher from Donegal who is in Belmarsh awaiting trial. Along with Gerry Kelly, he travelled to visit Róisín McAliskey in the London hospital where she is being held.

Speaking after the visit, Pat said, ``All of these men have either already served 22 years without being given a release date or are facing unprecedented sentences of 30 years, 35 years or life.

``Yet in every one of these prisons I found that the main concerns were for their families and for the prorgess of the peace process. I was impressed at the level of analysis of the talks and the wider question of the peace process.

``We assured them that Sinn Féin had the release of prisoners firmly on the agenda and that we saw movement on prisoners as an essential element in the whole process.''

Two prisoners, Vincent Donnelly and Pat Martin are expected to be repatriated before Christmas, Vincent to Port Laoise and Pat to a prison in the north.

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