13 May 1999 Edition

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Brutal RIR attack in Lurgan

An RIR unit in Lurgan brutally assaulted a Lurgan man on Tuesday, 11 May, as he made his way from North Street to a computer shop in the town. The man, who is registered as disabled, was attacked by three RIR soldiers, who when asked why they were stopping him replied ``because we want to''. After the RIR soldiers said they were charging him under the Emergency Powers Act, the disabled man was pushed against a wall then knocked to the ground, where he was repeatedly kicked by the soldiers.

The man was then dragged into the back of the RIR Landrover where one of the RIR soldiers said ``throw the f***cker in''. In the back of the jeep, the man who has three steel pins in his legs, was repeatedly kicked as the RIR soldiers held his legs. During the sustained beating another RIR soldier opened the back of the jeep and said to the man's RIR tormentors; ``It's a nice day, nice and warm, a good day for a hiding.''

Shortly afterwards, an RUC man confirmed the victim's story with the owner of the nearby computer shop and the man was released. The man, who reported the incident to his solicitor, was on his way to the RUC/RIR barracks to report his complaint, with his father when the same RIR unit in the same RIR jeep stoped and started pointing at him and laughing.

An Phoblacht
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Ireland