FOLLOWING a visit to nine republican prisoners in Full Sutton prison in England, the Sinn Fein vice president, Mr Pat Doherty, has said he will now establish the precise status of repatriation applications that eight of them have lodged.
Mr Doherty was permitted by the Home Office to see his brother Hugh Doherty and eight other prisoners yesterday after his request was assisted by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The men are serving sentences ranging from 18 years to life.
After the visit, Mr Doherty said although the necessary transfer applications had been made, and although the Irish Government had indicated its willingness to have the men repatriated, the prisoners had no idea if and when their papers would be processed by the British authorities.
Conditions at Full Sutton, had "deteriorated significantly" in recent weeks, according to the prisoners and they blamed the Home Office for adopting some of the more astringent recommendations of the Woodcock Report on prisons. Prisoners were subjected to strip searching and attempted "internal" searching, he said.
Mr Doherty had a two hour "family visit" with his brother before meeting all the prisoners together and the atmosphere was "oppressive and intrusive", with cameras and prison officers monitoring the conversation, Mr Doherty said.