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David Ford, Justice
Minister
Department of Justice, Block B
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Belfast, Northern Ireland
BT4 3SG Owen Paterson, Secretary of State
Northern Ireland Office
Stormont House, Stormont Estate
Belfast, Northern Ireland
BT4 3SH
Hugo Swire, Minister of State
Northern Ireland Office
Stormont House, Stormont Estate
Belfast, Northern Ireland
BT4 3SH Northern Ireland Prisons Service
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT4 3SU
Pat Maquire, Acting Governor
Maghaberry Prison
Old Road, Ballinderry Upper
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
BT28 2PT
Monica McWilliams, Human Rights Commissioner
NIHRC
Temple Court, 39 North Street
Belfast, Northern Ireland
BT1 1NA
Wednesday October 13th, 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to express my deepest concerns over reports from
Maghaberry Prison of forced strip searches and violent physical
assaults against the republican political prisoners at Roe House.
I refer to numerous complaints by prisoners, family members and
prisoners’ welfare activists that detail repeated beatings, violent
forced strip searches, and assaults that are sexual in nature by
prison guards against several republican prisoners at Maghaberry. I
specifically reference incidents involving three republican
prisoners; Brendy Conway, Damien McLaughlin, and Colin Duffy; all of
which have occurred since September 23rd 2010.
These reports, relayed from the Irish Freedom Committee have
detailed:
- Prisoners being forced to comply with strip searches in their
cells, en route to court, and when no court is scheduled
- Prisoners being forced violently to the ground and having clothing
cut and torn off them
- Prisoners being dragged across concrete floors naked sustaining
facial injuries
- Prisoners being violently assaulted resulting in serious to severe
bodily injuries
- Prisoners sustaining chest injuries in one case needing an EKG
performed
- Prisoners being video-taped naked and being subjected to vile
personal comments
-Prisoners being repeatedly strip searched multiple times in a
single day while remaining in armed custody
-Prisoners describing violation, humiliation, and sexual degradation
by guards
The testimony I have read is quite revolting in its nature,
particularly in incidents that prisoners have described as sexual
assaults. One would wonder is the staff at Maghaberry accountable to
no-one?
I understand that on August 12th of this year Maghaberry prison
issued a press release on its website detailing the conditions of an
AGREEMENT ENDING ROE HOUSE PROTEST. I have read this agreement and I
reference:
“D. Full body searching
1. No random full body searching will take place on the way to
domestic and legal visits and the videolink or from the SSU.
2. No “rubdown” searching internally, within Roe 3 and 4.”
Further:
5. In such cases the full-body search must be authorised and
observed by a supervisor and carried out in a manner which is both
sensitive and dignified. The process of searching will be audited
and monitored to ensure it complies with human rights standards.”
I demand an explanation as to how these continued abuses can carry
on day after day in a prison under jurisdiction of the British
government in Ireland. I am contacting International human rights
watch groups, and my local elected officials, to ask for an
immediate fact-finding investigation into the conditions at
Maghaberry jail and the seemingly lawless abuse there by its staff.
The favor of a response is requested.
Sincerely,
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