Madam, - The director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Peter Russell, was quoted in your edition of June 30th as saying he had ordered a security review following the rooftop protest at Maghaberry jail last weekend. As relatives of republican prisoners we have been trying to draw attention for months to the serious abuse of human rights that is taking place in Maghaberry and to the fact that the situation is escalating daily as a result of the conditions our loved ones and all other prisoners are being held in.
The prisoners have been on another "lock-down" now since last Friday evening which means there has been no contact with our family members since then, visits have been cancelled until further notice once again and even essential legal visits have not taken place. This is the second time this month that there has been a prolonged "lock-down" in the prison.
It is essential that the Northern Ireland office review its policy of inhumane and degrading treatment within the prison and that as a first step, segregation of republican prisoners is introduced immediately. We call on the Irish Government and the leaders of all political parties to raise this issue with Paul Murphy, Secretary of State. More importantly, we call on all human rights groups, community and ex-prisoners organisations to remember prison struggles of the past and to support the basic demands of current political prisoners. - Yours, etc.,
LORRAINE CORR, Coalisland, Co Tyrone.