Thanks for the continued conversation about these important humanitarian issues. The following two posts are about prisoners on hunger strike in Ireland and Turkey. The support for the conditions that face prisoners, wether prisoners of concience, common criminals, or participants in insurections must be uniform, in that human rights are not granted to the good, but shared by all. If we have groups that are not deserving of basic rights, then we will have people struggling to achieve those rights - with all the terrible pain that flows from that struggle.
This was sent from the Irish Republican Prisoner's Welfare Association... and gives information about the presnet hunger strike on in Portlaoise.
Larry

ON HUNGER STRIKE!

Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association Supports Hunger Striker Danny McAlister And calls on Dublin Government to End Discrimination

Following representation from the family of Belfast POW Danny Mc Alister, incarcerated in Portlaoise Gaol, we have learned of his Hunger Strike protest started on January 01 2001.

This extreme action taken by Danny Mc Alister has been forced by the continuing discrimination policy implanted by the Dublin Government by refusing compassionate parole to Republican prisoners to visit sick and dying relatives.

Danny has applied repeatedly to and been refused consistently by the Minister of Justice to visit his elderly, ailing Mother and his seriously ill Brother who is suffering from Leukemia.

Despite repeated attempts by his legal representative to ascertain the criteria and reasons for the refusals, to date the Minister of Justice John O'Donaghue has ignored these requests as he has ignored the requests of other Republican prisoners in Portlaoise Gaol in similar circumstances.

Danny Mc Alister's actions are understandable bearing in mind the torturous treatment he was subjected to during the weeks leading up to the death of his father. At the time the government engaged in 'Cat and Mouse' tactics before ultimately refusing him to visit his dying father. He was allowed to attend his father's funeral only as a consequence of initiating action.

The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association demand an end to the current discrimination policy against Republican POWs in Portlaoise Gaol and the immediate full implementation of Political status to all Republican prisoners held in Gaols throughout Ireland.

We call on all human rights organisations and individuals to support the restoration of political status and exert pressure on the Dublin Government to cease this practice forthwith in order to avert another tragedy in an Irish Gaol.

Support the prisoners!

Demolish the Prisons!

Until all are, we are all imprisoned!